


A Slice of Cake

by AutumnEnthusiast



Series: The Nice Little Flat by the Sea [2]
Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: But what else is new?, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Gen, Mental Health Issues, The Boys Being Awful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2020-05-18 15:31:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnEnthusiast/pseuds/AutumnEnthusiast
Summary: Two months into her exchange trip gone south, Sunny has come to accept thatanythingcan become the new normal. When things start to get weird (meaningvampire-weird weird), however, she has to learn to adapt to a frightening new world.





	1. Prologue

Jeannette was no astronomer - yet - but she was certain the night sky shouldn’t look like that.

It was the same deep blue she knew and loved, but the clouds and stars were all an odd reddish brown, like dingy terracotta tiles, and everything warbled and curved at odd angles. The moon was much larger than she was used to as well, a looming spectre in the distance. It was unsettling.

Almost as unsettling, in fact, as awakening and jerking upright in an unfamiliar bed and room and house had been a few minutes ago.

Looking down from her window, however, she realized _house_ might not be the best word to describe this place. Mansion, maybe, or even _castle_. The wall outside her window was made up of stones placed and set in a gorgeous spiral pattern that her eyes could have followed for hours. Had the situation been different.  

Instead, she was more focused on the fact that her window was fifty metres in the air and overlooking a courtyard with a stone patio. Escape wouldn’t be as simple as breaking the window and jumping out.

Escape because even though her thoughts were hazy, she knew she’d been kidnapped.

She looked around her room. Everything was grey, and there wasn’t much in it. Nothing helpful, at least. Jeannette returned to the bed she’d woken up in and ran her hands across the top. She hadn’t been given any covers or even a blanket, and there was no way she could make herself a long enough rope by tying two sheets together.

No, her sole exit from this room was the door. It wasn’t even locked (she had checked first thing when she’d woken up). Opening the door and running away seemed like the obvious choice… but she had no idea where she was or who had taken her here. This was a hastily put-together guest bedroom and not a cell or basement dungeon or anything like that, at least, but something was still… off. She couldn’t stop glancing out the window at the strange, warbling sky.

Something wasn’t right.

It wasn’t like she had any other options, though, and going out into the unknown felt like a better course of action than waiting for it to come for her. Jeannette pushed open the door and stepped outside.

The door opened into a spiral staircase, and one that was barely lit. It didn’t have a railing, either. She took the steps one by one, and slowly, keeping her hands on the walls. The staircase opened into a hallway, and she squinted at the change in lighting. White walls with grey trim, lined with portraits of people she didn’t recognize. It all looked very elegant.

Jeannette crept through the halls, fighting the urge to open every door in the mansion. Under different, better circumstances, this was the kind of place she could spend hours in, admiring the architecture and exploring room after room after room. But she couldn’t do that. She had to escape and figure out where she _was_ first, because this castle didn’t… look like anything she’d seen before, somehow.

She took a left, and the hallway expanded into the grandest room yet, with another, larger staircase leading down into the foyer, and - most importantly - the entryway. Her exit. She tore down the stairs.

This door wasn’t locked, either. Was she supposed to believe that whoever had kidnapped her hadn’t bothered with any guards or even a lock? What on earth was going on? Jeannette forced the door open and darted out.

Cold air smacked her in the face. She hugged herself and curled inward, shivering as her breath steamed in front of her, misty and glittering in the lamplight that illuminated a grown-over garden. Vines curled over the tops of stone planters, and whatever cobblestones that weren’t completely overgrown with browning mold were uneven beneath her shoes, which made walking difficult. Jeannette cautiously made her way to the edge of the property, marked by a rickety-looking, leaning, rusting iron fence. It creaked - a horrible, grating noise - when she shoved it open, and again even when she tried to be quiet about closing it behind her.

“I suppose it is well-past time for us to oil the gate,” a low voice spoke from behind her. “Not that it would do much good with the oncoming winter.”

She startled and spun around. Long, white hair and blazing yellow eyes. Even though she had only seen him once before she’d - well, she didn’t remember most of it very well, but before she’d been _knocked out_ \- she recognized him anyway.

Jeannette eyed where the castle’s yard ended and the woods beyond began. She didn’t know what was out there, or where the next town was, and the man behind her didn’t seem like he was about to attack her. He wasn’t pointing a weapon at her, and he was on the other side of the fence, not making any moves to approach her. Even so… the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck were all standing on end, and every nerve in her body was screaming at her to _run_. She didn’t understand any of this. Her foot slid in the grass against her wishes, inching toward the treeline.

“Your mother - Maira, was it? - works for the _Gardaí_ *,” the man said. “You plan to find the nearest police station, so you can get in contact with her.”

Her foot had stopped the second he’d mentioned her mother’s name. It was an obvious plan, but the fact that he knew her name was still unsettling, even if he _had_ been in her house. She didn’t have much leverage, but she still had to _try_ to get herself out of this. “If you let me leave, I won’t tell anyone about this.”

“You believe you would be able to find your way home from here?”

“What’s all this about? My family isn’t rich, so you can’t be trying to get a ransom. And my mom… she mostly hands out parking tickets. This can’t be about some grudge.”

“Not against your mother, no.”

“My dad’s a doctor. I don’t-”

“This is not about your family. Or you. And I do not owe you an explanation. I will tell you, however, that you will never make it to a police station should you choose to run, and that there will be consequences if you attempt to.”

Jeannette eyed the man. He was barely taller than she was, and even though she couldn’t gauge how muscular he was through his clothes, he clearly wasn’t _ripped_. And she could get a head start. And even if there weren’t any police stations around, there had to be _someone_ nearby that would help her out. She would rather take her chances.  

Jeannette snuck a glance at the woods, trying to gauge how far she would have to run to lose him in the forest, and her breath hitched in her throat.

Dozens, maybe _hundreds_ of pairs of glowing yellow eyes speckled the treeline. She couldn’t even count all of them. She stood, frozen in place, and one pair of eyes moved, and a wolf stalked out of the woods, haunches raised and teeth bared. Her mother had told her that she should stand her ground if a nasty-looking dog approached her, but… she didn’t know wolves were this _big_. Her legs felt both stiff and wobbly at the same time.

“We have given them orders to rip your legs off if you run,” he said, suddenly at her side. “Would you still rather take your chances?”

No, she wouldn’t. Jeannette shook her head and allowed him to usher her back through the fence. It squeaked when he tugged it open, and again when it closed behind them, and she realized she hadn’t heard anything before he’d appeared next to her near the woods. She tried to keep a good distance between him as they walked back to the mansion, eyeing him warily.

Another man, or maybe she could even call this one a boy, was waiting for them in the doorway, grinning (she recognized him from her house as well, from his bizarre outfit and the mean way his face looked). “You look terrible, sweetheart. Did you not sleep well, or did our familiars just scare you?”

Jeannette tensed up, catching malice in his tone. Thankfully, the older man spoke before she had to. “She would be a fool not to be scared.”

“Of course, _nii-san_ ,” the younger man said. Was that… Japanese? He opened the door for them as they approached, and warm light flooded into the garden, bringing out his single eye. It was also an unnatural gold, and as Jeannette studied his face, she noticed that his pupil was a slit. His grin widened as he met her gaze. “The real question, however, is whether they scared her _enough_.”

“I will not concern myself with that.” The other man was staring at the back of her head, she was _sure_ of it, but she couldn’t force herself to check. “She knows what the stakes are. Her legs, her choice.”

His companion laughed - an awful, harsh sound - and closed the door behind them. “And what else does she know?”

“Does she need to know anything else?”

“No, but I think it would be fun to fill her in on a few things.”

“Um…” Jeannette stammered, fumbling for words as she took a few steps away from them and put her back against a wall. “I’d like that, i-if you would.”

The older man stared at her for a moment, and then sighed. “I suppose. This castle is called Banmaden. I am Carla Tsukinami, and this is my younger brother, Shin.”

They knew more about her than just her name, clearly, so there was no need for her to introduce herself. “Okay. And… if I’m allowed to ask… where _is_ Banmaden, exactly…?”

Shin didn’t skip a beat. “The demon world.”

She squinted back at him. Was he… messing with her? “Is that, erm… outside Ulster, or…?”

“Ulster?” He raised a brow.

“It is one of the four provinces of Ireland,” Carla explained to his brother.

“Ah, human geography,” Shin muttered, rolling his eyes. Or eye. He looked annoyed. “You’re not in Ireland anymore, sweetheart, or even Europe. The demon world is its own thing.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jeannette asked, pressing into the wall. He had said ‘human’ almost as if… he didn’t want to include himself in that category. Her heart thrummed in her chest.

“It isn’t a place you humans can just _go_ to,” Shin explained, obviously enjoying her discomfort. “You need someone _from_ here to get through one of the entrances. In _or_ out.”

“Uhm. Okay. But… _actually_ , though.”

“He speaks the truth.”

“That’s… it sounds crazy.” She searched for a sign that either brother was joking, and found none. “What he just said implies that you aren’t… human.”

“Which is accurate,” Carla said.

These two were dead serious, Jeannette realized. She clutched at the fabric of her skirt. “Then… what _are_ you?”

“We’re the founders,” Shin said.

“I don’t know what that means.” And, come to think of it, she wasn’t sure she really _wanted_ to know what it meant, because these two sounded like nutcases. Knowing would still be helpful, though. “And… what’s going on? Why am I here?”

Carla exhaled, sharply, through his nose as his eyes narrowed to slits. “I do not appreciate your tone. I suppose a history lesson would be to _all_ our benefits. Our family settled here thousands of years ago, and became the foundation of the realm of demons. From us, other clans formed. You humans… you call members of those clans ‘vampires,’ I believe.”

Jeannette couldn’t think of anything to say. He couldn’t be serious. “You’re saying that you two are vampires.”

“ _No_.” Carla’s voice, controlled as it was, was still so cold that she _cringed_. “We are _founders_. Vampires are impure descendants of our kind.”

“So… can you please explain to me what the difference is?” she asked, meekly.

“We’re better than they are,” Shin replied.

Jeannette tilted her head. He looked about as serious as a boy in pirate getup could look. Then and there, Jeannette decided that, one, she had been kidnapped by complete and total lunatics, and two, that she should have taken her chances with the wolves. The door was still… _right there_ , after all, and who was to say that they hadn’t been lying about the woods?

She wasn’t quite there yet, though. “Do I get to know what’s going on?”

Shin glanced over at Carla with big, hopeful eyes, and scowled at his brother’s expression. “You don’t.”

So these two had kidnapped her and expected her to believe that they were super-vampires. And she wasn’t supposed to ask questions. Her hunch had been correct - they were complete _lunatics_. The woods were sounding better and better by the minute.

There was, however, as much as she hated to admit it… something _off_ about these guys. They were both staring at her, and their eyes, odd as they already were, looked too bright to be the products of colored contacts. They almost looked as if they were… _glowing_. And her thoughts kept circling back to how quietly Carla had approached her outside. How he’d suddenly just _been_ there.

Crazy as these two obviously were, crazier still was her inclination to almost… _believe_ them.

“Do you have any other questions?” Carla asked, in a way that made it clear he wasn’t about to give her any answers.

Jeannette realized her jaw was slack, which probably wasn’t doing her any favours. She closed her mouth and shook her head.

“Good. If you think of anything else, questions or otherwise, please feel free to approach Shin about it.” Carla gestured to his brother, who looked anything but approachable. In fact, Shin looked rather nasty at the moment. Before she could think of a polite way of asking if there was anyone _else_ she could direct her questions to, however, Carla walked away. His heels, clicking against the tiles, sounded much louder in the awkward silence that followed his leave.

Jeannette turned to Shin. He didn’t seem very nice, but at least he was… slightly more open to questions than his brother, it seemed. Even if he had taken a bit _too_ much enjoyment in relishing her discomfort a few minutes ago.

“Your brother…” she stammered, fumbling for words that wouldn’t potentially upset him. “He seems… busy.”

“ _Nii-san_ works hard,” Shin agreed. His forehead wrinkled, and then he smiled. “He says humans eat three times a day. You haven’t eaten once yet. You’re probably hungry, aren’t you?”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and that made her nervous. “I… uh… sure?”

He clapped his hands together in front of his chest. “I’ll make you something!”

“Oh, you don’t need to…” she started, but he was already dashing off. She frowned, but decided to follow him. Shin turned a corner and vanished, and when she finally caught up to where he had disappeared, there was nobody there. It was just an empty corridor.

Jeannette swallowed, but crept forward, opening doors as she came to them. Every room was empty. There was no way he could have ran the whole length of the hallway before she got there. There was probably… a shortcut that she didn’t know existed. If she was going to be staying here for a while (she still wasn’t sure whether she wanted to chance the woods or not), she might as well figure this place out. She circled back and walked into the first room.

It was a library. Hundreds upon hundreds of books filled shelves that covered every inch of wall space and stretched all the way to the ceiling. And everything was color-coordinated. The shelf closest to her was red, and the book covers bled into oranges and yellows in a gentle, perfect gradient. It looked very nice, but it couldn’t have been very practical, with a copy of _Grimm’s Fairy Tales_ sitting next to _Macbeth_ and… a book on M.C. Escher, whoever that was.

There were a couple of chairs in the centre of the library surrounding a coffee table, which had a few piles of books on it. All history books, most of them on the Hungarian Revolution. Very dry-looking. She opened the first book on the pile, which had a page on Transylvania all marked up and annotated with pen. More Japanese. A sinking feeling began to weigh down her stomach.

“Hope you aren’t allergic to peanuts,” Shin said.

Jeannette startled and dropped the book, and it tumbled to the floor. She snatched it up and set it back on the table, more than a little flustered. He and his brother moved so _quietly_. “Thank you.”

“You’re snooping.” It was an observation, not an accusation, which made it worse. “You shouldn’t do that.”

She thought that kidnapping was the worse offense, but didn’t dare say that to his face. “Sorry.”

“Well, whatever. Just don’t do it again. Here, come and get your dinner before it gets cold.”

He had literally toasted a slice of bread and put peanut butter on it. She didn’t have to feel guilty about having him prepare something especially for her, she supposed, but she couldn’t help but wonder what they would be feeding her here now that he’d brought her… _this_.

Shin must have noticed her expression, because he clicked his tongue in annoyance. “What, do you have something against crunchy?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s fine. Thanks for making me… dinner.”

“It’s going to get cold,” he said, face pouty as he shoved the plate into her hands.

She almost wanted to apologize, but he looked really… expectant. She supposed he must _really_ want her to try his creation and praise him for it. Which, if her hunch was right, was… kind of pathetic. It was just peanut butter on toast. Ridiculous as this was, she should try to keep him happy. Jeannette forced a smile and lifted the toast to her mouth.

His hand shot out in a flash of movement too quick for her eyes to follow, and Shin smashed the toast into her face.

Jeannette shrieked and swatted his hand away. Globs of paste and peanuts stuck to her face as the bread peeled away, and it felt _disgusting_. Oily and gooey. Furiously, she wiped her face. Shin was laughing like he’d never seen anything funnier, and her face heated up. “Why would you _do_ that?”

She knew the answer before he said it. “We’re even now.”

“I only got dal on you because… _because…_!” Because he’d been in her house, and she was home alone, and she’d been convinced he was going to abduct her. Which he had! Her smashing her dinner into his face had been _justified_! “That was unnecessary and _mean_!”

“ _Mean_? Is that the best you can do?” he taunted.

Jeannette ground her teeth together. She didn’t want to deal with him anymore; she’d had _enough_ of weirdos for the day! For _forever_! She began to stomp off, but he grabbed her wrist. She flinched. His hand was really, really _cold_.

“Hey, you haven’t eaten your dinner yet.”

She looked from him, to the sad piece of toast crumpled against the floor (she was pretty sure she had stepped on it), and back to him again. “I’m not hungry anymore. I’m going to go wash my dinner off of my _face_.”

His grip tightened, and she winced. He was stronger than he looked. “I took time out of _my_ day, took _my_ peanut butter out of _my_ peanut butter jar, to make you - an insignificant _human_! - dinner. You’re going to _eat it_.”

Jeannette tried to tug her hand away, but couldn’t do it. “It’s on the floor.”

“That isn’t my problem,” he sneered. “You should’ve grabbed it before it fell.”

“I’m not going to eat that.” Jeannette grabbed his hand and tried to wrench it off of her arm. “Let go of me.” Even prying with all her strength, she couldn’t get his fingers to twitch, and, worse still, he didn’t even seem to need to _try_ to keep his hold on her! “Let _go_!”

One single golden eye bored into hers, and his hand tightened, again. “You aren’t scared enough yet.”

Jeannette winced at the pressure around her wrist. She was _plenty_ scared! She just didn’t want to eat trampled toast off of the floor! Her dignity was at stake! “Let go of me. _Please_ , I just want to go back upstairs! I’m sorry about the dal!”

Shin’s free arm looped back around her neck, and his hand fisted fabric and hair. The next thing she knew, they were both on the floor, and he was smearing her face into the toast. “ _Eat_ it.”

He was all but on top of her, and she couldn’t move. At all. His body was solid and immovable, like stone, and just as cold, and her wrist was _throbbing_. There was peanut butter up her nose and all over her face and on her clothes, and she couldn’t move, and he wasn’t going to let her go until she ate this sad, grimy piece of toast off of the floor.

Everything came crashing down all at once, and Jeannette started to cry.

If anything, the crying made things worse, because now she had her face pressed into a crumbling, _soggy_ piece of toast, but she couldn’t help it! This was all too much! She was stuck in an unfamiliar castle in the middle of wolf-infested woods with a couple of unhinged _lunatics_ , and she had _no idea_ what was going on!

Above her, Shin made a noise in his throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. “You won’t eat it?”

“I _can’t_.” He had her pinned so well that she couldn’t have tilted her head to choke down the toast had she _wanted_ to. “I’m sorry about the d-dal. I w-won’t bother you guys with any questions. I d-don’t know what you guys want with me, but I won’t get in your way. I promise! So _please_ … let go of me.”

“You don’t get to make demands of me,” Shin snarled, tugging her head back. Jeannette stared up at him, wide-eyed and flushed, feeling more afraid than she’d ever felt in her entire life, all because of this mean boy who was wearing _pirate clothes_. He grinned down at her. “I guess you look pathetic enough already, though.”

She _absolutely_ did. There were tears and snot trails and chunks of crunchy peanut butter sliding down her face, and she just wanted Ammi to break down the door and take her home, where she could shower and put on warm pajamas and crawl into bed and forget that all of this ever happened.

But Ammi didn’t break down the door. Nobody did. Instead, Shin somehow managed to make everything _worse_ by dragging her closer to him and _licking peanut butter off of her fingers_. The only thing that kept her from smacking him was the overwhelming terror that constricted her chest and sent patches of goose pimples streaking across her flesh.

“You actually taste pretty good,” Shin said, once her fingers were clean and she was thoroughly and completely _disturbed_. “That’s a high compliment, especially from a founder. You should be honored.”

A small part of Jeannette wanted to scream that _of course_ she tasted good, she was covered in _peanut butter_ , but mostly, she just wanted to curl into a ball and be done with all of this.

Shin dragged her closer still, and she heard the ripping of fabric, and a sharp pain nettled her shoulder. Jeannette sobbed, but his arms around her back were a vice, and she knew there was nothing she could do to get away from him. She could hear him… _gulping_ , and before long her shoulder was numb and prickly. This was happening. He was sucking her blood. This was…

Jeannette quivered in Shin’s arms, in the unfamiliar mansion, in the unfamiliar woods, in this new, awful, unfamiliar… _world_ , and Shin drank and drank until she was dizzy and nauseous. Then he leaned back, and she saw blood - _her_ blood - smeared around his lips, and she knew that everything - every single crazy, unbelievable thing that they had told her - was _real_.

She’d always been squeamish around blood. And now she was _here_.

Black spots peppered her vision, and Jeannette tumbled down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gardaí: Ireland's police force 
> 
> It's been a while, but I'm back! My life's a bit more hectic nowadays, so updates will probably be slower for this installment, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless! I'm really looking forward to writing this. 
> 
> See you all around! :)


	2. Ball and Chain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny deals with the aftermath of her escape attempt.

Sunny stared up at the ceiling of her little yellow room through half-lidded eyes. Days like this were… familiar, she supposed. That was a neutral enough word. It had been a while since she’d spent a night alone - or, at least, as close to alone as they allowed her to be - in the mansion. Ruki stayed behind yesterday, and Yuma was her guard tonight. Back in September, that would have made for a long day in the garden. Now, with November air chilling the vegetables and a cast on her leg, things were just… quiet. 

She wished Ruki hadn’t stowed her crutches in the family limousine. Even if she made a point of leaving her room as seldom as possible, having the choice to do so at her leisure would have been nice. 

 _“This is just for a couple of days, while we sort things out,”_ he’d promised. 

How much time could a family working under the most influential man in the prefecture _possibly_ _need_ to sort things out? When she’d asked Ruki that question yesterday (albeit worded as diplomatically as she could phrase it), he’d frowned and told her she should feel lucky he hadn’t locked her in the basement. 

She didn’t feel lucky, though. Not at all. The swelling in her leg had been at its worst yesterday, and they’d started her on ibuprofen two days before that, but the pain was still excruciating whenever she put any pressure on it. Her trips to the bathroom were an awkward mess of hopping and crawling. And, above all else, she felt more vulnerable now. Running wasn’t an option anymore, from them on a day-to-day basis _or_ from this whole horrible situation itself. 

Sunny squeezed Duke to her chest and sighed. Vulnerability was nothing new. Immobility, however… 

There was a pounding on the door (she flinched at the sound), and then it swung open as Yuma barged in, holding a glass of water in one hand and a couple of pills in the other. 

He was in a bad mood. “I can’t believe we have to fuckin’ baby you like this.” 

Snapping at him would only end in misery, so she forced a smile onto her face. She knew it wouldn’t fool anyone for shit, but it was still worth a try. “Thanks for doing it.” 

“Whatever.” He pressed the painkillers into her palm, grumbling all the while. 

She popped the pills into her mouth, took a sip of water, and swallowed. He was still hovering over her. Sunny kept sipping her drink, staring at the distorted room in the bottom of her glass. She couldn’t be held responsible for this uncomfortable silence if she kept water in her mouth. 

“Y’er a lotta trouble, y’know,” he said, finally, when she began to squirm under his glare. “Azusa got really upset when he heard you ran off, and ‘ya scared the shit outta the other sow.” 

“I didn’t want either of them to worry.” It was the truth. Even if her escape had been incredibly risky, she’d done it for Yui’s benefit. A few hours - a few _days_ of anxiety and confusion, even - would be worth their freedom. Azusa, on the other hand… 

“He’s pissed off,” Yuma growled. “Just thought’cha should know.” 

She _did_ know. Azusa hadn’t visited her once since Ruki brought her back, and he hadn’t been speaking to her at meals, either. And she even understood why he was upset with her. In her escape attempt, she’d betrayed his trust. Now, she had a broken leg and the one vampire she could comfortably call her friend wouldn’t even _look_ at her. 

Yuma was glaring at her, and it was making her uncomfortable. Sunny pulled her covers up over her nose and looked away, but she could still feel his eyes on her, and it was making her skin crawl. She squirmed and made the mistake of opening her big, stupid mouth. “Is there something you want?” 

“With what you’ve been eatin’? Nah, I’m not that thirsty.” 

“Does the ibuprofen make me taste bad?” For a brief moment, she wondered if getting addicted to painkillers would be worth avoiding their feeding frenzies. Then, she saw the expression on his face. 

“Don’t be getting any ideas,” he grumbled. “And s’not just the pills. You’ve probably lost somethin’ like… ten kilos since ‘ya got here.” 

“And my diet has never been healthier.” Better Ruki’s home-cooked meals than her usual corner store staples: ice cream and chips. 

“You can’t call it a healthy diet if y’aren’t _eatin’_ the _food_.” His face twisted into a grimace. “I can’t believe Ruki lets ‘ya get away with throwin’ half your plate into the garbage every night.” 

“Why are you here, Yuma?” Sunny asked, through clenched teeth. 

“There it is.” His lips quirked. “I thought you were being too nice.” 

“Look, I-” 

“I don’t mind the attitude, Sow. It’s more fun when girls have a backbone.” Yuma plopped down on the bed next to her and sighed when she scooted to the far end of her side. “But you get away with too much.” 

He was telling this to a girl in a cast, which was rich. Sunny knew him well enough to realize this wasn’t a good time to talk back, though. “I don’t think I… know what you mean.” 

“I’ve known Ruki for… jeez, over a hundred years. When Ruki left for Sapporo, I didn’t expect him to bring you back with him.” 

“He wasn’t _nice_ about it, if that makes you feel any better.” 

“What do ‘ya think people keep pigs and cows for, Sow?” 

Sunny pressed her lips together, fisted the covers, and swallowed. “For food.” 

“That’s your role here. Isn’t it?” He leaned in and put a hand on her shoulder. “And y’er pretty shit at it. If I were a farmer, what d’ya think I would do if I had a really shitty pig on my farm? One that made everyone upset, and tried to run away all the fuckin’ time, and didn’t even eat the food that I brought it?” 

She was shaking. Her knuckles were white against the covers. “What would you do, Yuma?” 

He sneered and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’d bring out the axe.” 

* * *

Hokkaido was farther south than County Donegal. This time of year back home, the sun rose at eight in the morning, but here, the clouds were pink by the time the Mukamis returned from class at six. The change in sunlight wasn’t as drastic, and it only added to the feeling that everything was moving more slowly. 

Two months ago today, she had stepped out of the Sakamaki’s car and set her bags down on their cobblestone driveway. Two months. She could hardly believe it. 

Sometimes, she wondered if everything _was_ unbelievable. Maybe, perhaps, she’d actually bled out on the floor of Reiji’s mad scientist laboratory back in early September and this was all some sixth-circle-of-hell bullshit punishment that she had to endure for the rest of eternity because of all the stupid swearing she’d done while she was alive. If a God did exist, he clearly wasn’t _kind_. 

That didn’t feel right, though. 

Yui had visited her earlier that night, looking more exhausted than ever. The brothers were excellent at taking their anger out on easy targets, and Sunny hoped she hadn’t made things worse for her friend. As bad as things were here, they could _always_ be worse. Yui had made her tea (green, not chamomile) and snuck a few biscuits out of the kitchen, and they’d talked for hours, all while only saying a few words. 

Sunny had told Yui that she felt kind of… lost, nowadays. Yui hadn’t had a response to that. 

Eventually, when the tea was cold and they’d run out of things to talk about, she had to leave. Even if _she_ was stuck here, Yui and the others had classes to attend to, because the Mukamis were nothing if not slaves to routine. 

Yui left, and a pit opened up in the bottom of her stomach. She knew why Yui had visited. Today was a Kou day. There hadn’t been one of those in a long while, and she’d never been alone with him in the mansion before, and she _certainly_ hadn’t been alone with him with a broken leg. She hadn’t looked forward to Kou days even when Yui was nearby for her to huddle next to, and now she was going to do it all alone, while being more vulnerable than ever. 

For better or for worse, he didn’t keep her waiting long. 

“Hey there, kitten!” Even though Sunny had anticipated his arrival, he’d still found a way to sneak in. 

She flinched. “H-hey, Kou,” she said, trying to keep her voice as steady as she possibly could (the tremor was still obvious). 

“Ah. Did I scare you?” he asked innocently. 

“It’s fine.” Lies could set him off, but the truth would sound pathetic if she said it outright. 

As she’d feared he would, Kou plopped down on the bed next to her - proof he wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon. She shifted (and put a tiny bit more distance between them in a way that she hoped didn’t make it obvious). His eyes followed every movement of hers. 

“I’m supposed to give you these.” He held out his hand to reveal a few tablets in his palm. When she reached for them, however, he closed his fingers around the ibuprofen and jerked his hand back out of her reach, grinning mischievously. “But Ruki didn’t say _when_ I was supposed to.” 

“You’re going to wait until morning.” This was mild torment, coming from him. She’d take it. 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“You’re going to do it, though. Aren’t you?” 

His jaw jutted out. “You’re no fun.” No response sounded safe in her mind, so she kept silent, and Kou sighed and leaned back into her nest of pillows. “Anyway… I’m also supposed to tell you that you’re going back to class tomorrow. Do you have an excuse for your leg?” 

“I tripped and fell down a flight of stairs.” 

“What’d you trip on?” 

“I… uh… I wasn’t looking, and the steps were uneven.” 

“Which steps?” 

“I’m not sure I need to be this specific.” 

“If someone asks, you can’t sit there gaping like a dead fish,” Kou replied. “Say Shintomi Park if it comes up.” 

Sunny scrunched up her nose. “ _Fine_.” The word came out harsher than she’d intended, but he… didn’t seem bothered, strangely. He wasn’t being _nice_ by any means, but this was tame for him. It was making her antsy. She frowned. “Is there anything else I need to know?” 

He pressed his index finger to his cheek. “Come to think of it… yes, there is!” 

She didn’t like that look on his face. “What is it?” 

“Maybe you don’t _need_ to know. It isn’t _that_ big of a deal, and you’ll find out tomorrow anyway.” 

“Would it be _helpful_ for me to know?” 

“Oh, definitely, but you don’t _need_ to-” 

“What is it?” she asked, again, more insistently this time. 

“I don’t feel like telling you.” Kou stuck out his tongue. 

What was he, five? Her hands clenched into fists. “Come _on_ , Kou.” 

“If I told you, what would I get in return?” 

These fucking vampires and their fucking bargains! “I’m not going to do this with you today. I don’t _know_ it’s important, and I’m not going to give you something if I might not even get anything good in return.” 

“Not even curious, huh?” 

“Not curious _enough_.” 

“You’re learning.” He screwed up his face. “That’s boring.” 

Boring for _him_ , maybe, but necessary for her. “If you aren’t going to give me my painkillers, and you won’t tell me anything, you don’t have to be here.” 

“There isn’t much to do right now, though,” he whined, puffing up his cheeks. “I’d just be bored _and_ lonely if I left. There aren’t even any exams I could be studying for since…  _oops_!” He covered his mouth with his hand, eyes going wide, and grinned sheepishly from behind it. “Since, _y’know_ …” 

Sunny blinked a few times, and then it clicked. _Shit_. “The exam last week… how did it go? What happened?” 

“It went just fine for _me_ ,” Kou said. “But _you_ didn’t take it, did you?” 

“Am I taking it _tomorrow_?” Was this what he’d been trying to hold over her head? “Shit, I forgot all about that. Was it difficult?” 

“Mmm… the essay portion was a bit rough, but-” 

“There’s an _essay_ portion?” 

“Sounds like you’ve got some studying to do,” Kou laughed, but she wasn’t paying attention. Sunny had already tumbled gracelessly off her bed, and was shuffling through her meager notes, too flustered to care about him anymore. Behind her, he adjusted on her bed, putting his stupid fucking _boots_ on her _covers_. “You really care about this, huh?” 

She splayed a pack of pens out on the floor. “I want to do well in this class, thanks.” 

“Why?” 

There was an edge to his tone. Sunny twisted around to look at him. His eyebrows were knitted together, and his mouth was a thin line. 

She swallowed, wetting her tongue. “Isn’t it… a normal thing, to want to do well in school…?” He didn’t respond to that, and his expression didn’t change, either. She bit her lip. “Is something… wrong?” 

He sighed. “It’s petty. I was about to tell you that Ruki doesn’t take low grades well,” Kou answered, rolling his eyes. “But you’re fussing over the exam already. It’s annoying.” 

He was right about it being petty. Dear lord. “Sorry to… uh… crush your hopes and dreams.” 

It was a _stupid_ thing to say, and she knew it had been a mistake even before his cheeks flushed and lips curled. “Did I hear that right? You still think you can make fun of me?” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Shut up. You aren’t _sorry_ for saying it; you _regret_ saying it. Learn the fucking difference,” he snapped. In one fluid motion, he shot off her bed, pushed her aside, and grabbed her notes. “I’m _so fucking sick_ of hearing you apologize over and _over again_ for things you aren’t sorry for!” 

“I’m sor… I shouldn’t have been sarcastic. And yeah, I do regret doing it. Just… give me back my notebook, please.” 

“Why?” he demanded. “Why do you _care_?” 

“I want to do well on this. There doesn’t have to be a reason for it!” 

“If you don’t have any reason to care, you don’t _actually_ care.” He opened her notebook and took a page in his fingers. “So you have no _actual_ _reason_ to mind if I do _this_.” 

Kou tore the page in half, and she lunged forward. “ _Stop_ it!” 

“ _Why_?” he demanded, _again_ , holding the notebook just out of her reach. “Give me a reason not to rip this whole thing to _shreds_.” 

“I don’t have any!” she insisted. “Why are you doing this? Just st-” 

He was on top of her in an instant, pinning her shoulders to the floor with rough, claw-like hands. “You’re _lying_. Liar. Tell the _truth_.” 

His fingernails dug into her skin, and she winced. “I… I don’t know what to tell you,” she stammered. 

“You don’t know why you want to get good grades?” His voice was quiet - soft, even - but fierce. “C’mon. Nobody is motivated entirely out of the goodness of their heart or whatever crap you wanna believe. You know the answer. Figure it out.” 

He put even more force into gripping her shoulders, and she stilled, staring up at him with wide, bleary eyes, Her voice caught in her throat, completely useless. 

Kou clicked his tongue. “I wonder how hard I’d have to squeeze that weak little neck of yours to make the words come out, hmm?” 

He wasn’t the type to make empty threats, and her answer came out in a pathetic, quivery gush of sputtered words. “I… I c-can’t get into university if I get bad grades while I’m here.” 

“ _University_ , huh?” he sneered. 

She could only bob her head in response, fighting to hold back tears. 

“Your masochistic friend _did_ tell me you came to Japan thinking you’d be here to study abroad," he mused, as the intensity slowly melted out of his expression. “Things have changed a bit since you arrived, though, haven’t they?” 

“They have.” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. 

“Ah, _sorry_ ,” he said, as he removed his hands from her shoulders and raised them above his head, not looking or sounding apologetic at all. “Hey, but you don’t need to worry about this exam, right?” 

Sunny rubbed her shoulders and shifted awkwardly beneath him “W-what?” 

He snickered. “If you don’t get what I’m trying to say, you aren’t smart enough for uni anyway. Do you really believe we’re just going to let you waltz out the front door and fly back to Ireland in seven months?” 

Her program had been advertised as a semester-long trip, but she didn’t dare correct him. “No, but-” 

“But what? You’re never going to university, kitten, so your exams don’t matter.” 

“I still want to do well on them.” 

Kou grinned down at her. “Okay, sure. Whatever. That’ll keep Ruki happy. Just don’t study for the wrong reasons.” 

Every word stung. Her reply rushed out in spite of her better judgment. “It shouldn’t _matter_ what my reasons are. Why do you care about whether or not I want to go to university? I can’t _do_ anything about it!” 

His lips quirked. “What do you think you are to us?” 

There wasn’t any malice in his tone, but still… her palms were sweating even so. “I know what _you guys_ think I am.” 

Kou’s smile split, revealing sharp teeth. “ _Livestock_. Is that the word you were thinking of?” 

“It’s the word you guys like to use.” 

“It’s the word _Ruki_ likes to use,” he corrected her. “And I’m not even sure he believes it himself anymore.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Hmm… how do I explain this… well, you aren’t the first human we’ve fed from.” He pursed his lips. “Don’t look at me like that! We aren’t the Sakamakis - not by a long shot! - but it’s easier for us to feed from one human multiple times than it is to find a different one _every time_ we’re thirsty! 

“Ruki’s always liked to think of those humans as his personal ‘livestock,’ and I get where he’s coming from… but c’mon, he doesn’t treat _you_ like that. You’re getting some special fucking treatment.” 

Her brow furrowed. “Yuma said… something similar, yesterday. I really don’t feel like I’m getting special treatment,” she said, quietly. “And… yeah, he told me I was lucky to be alive after running away, but Ruki… he doesn’t treat me _well_. He… he _broke_ my _leg_ …” 

“Do you want me to tell you what Ruki did to the _last_ ‘livestock’ he had that tried to run away from him? I wonder if they’ve pulled what’s left of her out of the river yet…” 

She grimaced. “No… I just… even if I _am_ getting special treatment, this is still… awful.” 

“Oh, don’t look so _sad_ , kitten,” he cooed. “Living here could be nice if you behaved.” 

Sunny didn’t believe that. Not for a second. She didn’t want to anger him, though, so she kept her lips sealed even as one of his hands drifted to her face to cup her cheek. 

“You’re still upset. Why’s that? Aren’t you happy to hear that Ruki doesn’t see you as some farm animal?” 

“That isn’t s-something I should be happy about. Shouldn’t… shouldn’t that be a given?” she asked. 

“Well, maybe you’d like it to be, but that isn’t how our world works. You should be proud of yourself!” he giggled, pinching her cheek. “You aren’t ‘livestock’ anymore; you’re Ruki’s cute little pet.” 

“P- _pet_?” she sputtered. 

“Yup! Congratulations!” 

“I’m not a _dog_!” 

“I never said you were a dog. You’re more of a kitten, or maybe a puppy, and that’s good because they’re cuter anyway.” Kou put a hand on your cast. “See? He even got you your own special collar and leash!” 

“I don’t _want_ it!” 

“Whatever. It’s an improvement. If you’re a good little kitten, I’m sure he’ll treat you well, and if he’s decided that you’re his, _I’m_ not going to make him upset by tormenting you,” he grumbled. “I just wish he’d come out and be honest about it.”  

“I don’t want to be his _pet_!” she snarled. 

“Let me guess,” he sighed. “You want to go _home_ and make out with your _girlfriend_ and go to _university_.” 

“ _No_ ,” she said, stubbornly, trying to keep her voice level. He wasn’t wrong, though, and she hated him for it. 

“That was the worst lie I’ve heard from you yet, _kitten_ ,” he sneered. “Would you like some advice?” He leaned in until he was close enough that their noses almost touched. “Forget about going home. Forget about your girlfriend. Forget about your grades and the thought of university and all of your worthless dreams. None of that matters anymore. You’re _ours_ now, and that’s all you’re ever going to be.” 

Sunny squeezed her eyes shut, but it was too late. Tears leaked out the edges and slid down her cheeks and into her hair. He was right, and they both _knew_ he was right. And even if he was wrong… _she_ wouldn’t be the one to change things. She _couldn’t_ be. 

Kou giggled and brushed her bangs off her forehead. His breath fanned her face for a few seconds more, and then trailed down her neck. “Hey, don’t cry. Remember what I told you? You’re ugly with your face all screwed up and red like this. Hey, there’s no reason to be upset; if you’re good, we won’t kill you and you won’t need to worry about anything ever again. We’ll feed you and buy you all the clothes you’ll ever need, and we won’t let the Sakamakis bother you. Why get upset about this? Ruki can be gentle when he wants to be.” 

She shook her head and choked down a sob. “I don’t _care_. I just w-want to go _home_.” 

“Shh, shh. Don’t say that. Chasing after unrealistic things will just make you miserable, so don’t worry about it.” He looped a finger around the collar of her shirt. “Besides… this is your home now, isn’t it?” 

“It _isn’t_ ,” Sunny sobbed. 

“Well, you’re never going back to your old home, so this might as well be your new one,” he laughed. “Would you like that? Hey, that’d make us your family, wouldn’t it? I don’t think that sounds that bad myself; I mean, what kind of family would mistreat a cute little kitten?” 

She tried to shove him away, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down once again. Tears streamed down her face. She hated his offer, and she hated this mansion, and most of all she hated _him_. This mansion would never be her home, and they would never be her family, and she would never be the family _pet_! When her eyes met his, however, the words caught in her throat. 

Even though she couldn’t bring herself to say anything, Kou seemed to know what her thoughts on the issue were, because his smile widened. “Your choice, Sunny. Either you take the role or you don’t, but what do you have to lose by playing along?” 

Her pride. The answer tingled on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t force it out. She couldn’t do anything but cry and strain her wrists against his hands and kick her good leg. And none of those things would do her any good. Kou snickered, and then he leaned in, and his teeth found the junction between her shoulder and her neck. 

After a few seconds, when she realized that nothing she could do was going to make him stop, Sunny went limp and tilted her head back to look out at what little sky she could make out through her window. A waxing gibbous tonight, and clear skies. If she had stayed in Ireland, she and J.J. could have been in her living room right now, watching TV and trying to figure out whether they’d both have the new moon off so they could watch the Leonids. Blood rushed in her ears. 

Kou dislodged his fangs and said something about how she tasted, but she wasn’t listening. She barely even registered the sound of ripping fabric as he tore her shirt open to give himself easier access. She couldn’t do anything about it, so it didn’t matter. 

The room blurred and darkened around her, and she stared at the waxing gibbous until her vision gave entirely. The moon was white when she drifted away, and red in her dreams, and, finally, yellow when she peeled herself off of the floor at crepuscular dawn. Kou had tucked a few ibuprofen tablets into her clenched fist. As much as she wanted to hurl them against the wall… her leg hurt too much. _Everything_ hurt, actually. 

Sunny sat up, pressed a hand to her throbbing temple, and began her first of that day's pilgrimages to the bathroom on her hands and knees. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, and I apologize for that, but I didn't want to either drag it out or risk making it less coherent by adding on anything else, so here it is in all its glory. Hope y'all like Kou. 
> 
> Thanks so much for all your feedback on the first chapter! Hearing from everyone again really meant a lot to me, so thank you :) 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and thanks so much for reading!


	3. Fractures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected change in Sunny's routine puts her in a precarious new position.

The next evening, when Yuma appeared in her doorway, Sunny assumed he would throw her over his shoulder and take to the dining room for breakfast as he’d done for the last few days. Instead, he dropped off her uniform and crutches. 

Her uniform was tighter than she remembered it being. Tighter meaning the skirt wasn’t in danger of falling down anymore, and the top didn’t have the excess space she’d grown to appreciate. It actually… _fit_. She didn’t want to imagine that one of the brothers had taken a tape measure to her while she was unconscious, so she tried to tell herself that the shrinkage was due to laundry issues and forced herself not to look at the tags. 

Breakfast wasn’t quiet, as meals _never_ were, but she was. She nibbled at her eggs and stared at the tablecloth as Kou and Yuma fought over the toast. At one point, a weight landed on her arm, and when she looked over Yui was giving her a concerned look. Sunny crinkled her eyes, stretched out her lips, and hoped that she looked convincing. She probably didn’t. Later, in the limousine, she hugged her crutches to her chest and looked out the window at the browning leaves. 

The limo pulled up to the school, and she stumbled out and hobbled along behind the brothers, trying to keep up. If she could ignore her leg, it almost felt as if nothing had changed. Nervous as she was for the exam, it would be nice to get back into a routine. She kept the plaster-smile on her face and kept moving forward. She would get to class and keep her head down and mouth shut like she always did, and things would be fine. 

When they got into the school building and reached the point where they always parted ways, however, a firm hand on her shoulder kept her from following Kou to class. 

Yuma looked annoyed. “What’re you going after _him_ for?” 

Sunny knit her brows together, eyes flitting anxiously from him to Azusa, who was hovering behind his older brother. “Um. I… have class, don’t I?” 

“Not with _him_ ,” Yuma said. Sunny didn’t know how to react to that, and after a few seconds, Yuma’s frown sharpened into a glare, and he steered her into a less-crowded hallway. “He didn’t tell ‘ya what was going to happen, did he?” 

Sunny shook her head. “Am I skipping first period to take the exam I missed last week?” 

Yuma groaned. “And he’s upset at Ruki for—he had _one fuckin’ job_. Y’aren’t gonna be taking any exams today, Sow. Y’er switching classes.” 

Her eyes widened. “What? Why am I–?” 

“Ruki decided that _someone_ wasn’t doing a good enough job of watching your sorry ass. Too many fun little _incidents_. Y’er gonna be in our class now.” 

Class C. Once again, Sunny glanced from Yuma to Azusa, searching for any sign that he might be joking and finding nothing of the sort. “Isn’t switching in the middle of a term kind of… difficult? What about my… uh… are my teachers fine with it?” 

His face scrunched up. “It’s fine. Any other questions? No? _Good_.” 

She opened her mouth and shut it again. They had taken care of things, and Yuma was clearly not open to complaints. Sunny frowned, uncomfortable, but she still trailed behind Yuma and Azusa without saying another word. Kou had lied to her yesterday about the exam, and she was okay with not having to sit in the same room as him anymore. Not seeing Laito would be nice as well. This could end up being a good thing, she hoped. 

All hopes went hurtling out the window when she walked into her new classroom. 

Subaru’s glare, directed at her from the other side of the room, was so intense that she stopped in the doorway, frozen stiff. Of course there had to be another Sakamaki in this class. Had she actually been expecting a stroke of good luck? 

“Ah,” a small voice said to her right. Sunny tore her eyes away from the menacing presence in the back of the classroom and glanced over at the teacher’s desk. A jittery-looking older man smiled up at her from behind his spectacles. “You must be the new student. I’m Mr. Tamura.” 

“Sunny,” she replied. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said. 

“Oh.” She forced a smile. “Um… good, things, I hope.” 

He fidgeted with one of the ballpoint pens on his desk, clicking the spring mechanic over and over again. “Not necessarily. I just wanted to say that I hope… this classroom will be a good fit for you.” 

The clicking noises were driving her nuts. The smile still held, even though her cheeks were starting to hurt. “Ah,” Sunny said. “Thank you. Where would you like me to sit?” 

Mr. Tamura stopped clicking his pen. “You can choose any desk that doesn’t have a name-tag on it.” He set it down and folded his hands together on the desk, smiling. “I can get you markers over lunch so you can make your own. It may be a bit silly for me to do this, but I have difficulties remembering all these names.” 

Sunny turned back around. There were three open seats: the one directly in front of and two on either side of Subaru’s. Her smile cracked and splintered. She stammered another “thank you” to Mr. Tamura and started to make her way to the back of the classroom, feeling the eyes of everyone else in the room as she approached almost certain death. 

She decided that there was no way in hell she was going to put her back to Subaru. Sunny chose the corner seat by the windows. If he decided he wanted her dead, she could at least be close to an exit. Their classroom was only on… the third floor, after all. There were bushes below them. She could make it. From the far side of the classroom, Yuma glared at her, obviously unhappy with her choice. She didn’t care; he was as far away from her as he possibly could be. 

“I put my stuff there,” Subaru growled, yanking her from her thoughts. 

“Huh?” Sunny asked, as she opened her new desk. She gaped at what was inside. It was stuffed with broken pens and pencils, chewing gum wrappers, and what looked like crumpled-up homework assignments. “Oh,” she muttered under her breath. “Your stuff. Would you like… um… all of this… _back_?” 

“Does it _look_ like the kind of shit I’d want back?” he snapped. 

“No, no, it’s fine!” 

He was still glaring at her, but didn’t look like he wanted to say anything else. Sunny tried to ignore his gaze and shoved all the broken pen caps and junk to the edges of the desk, praying there wasn’t any chewed gum in with the wrappers. Cleaning this out was going to be a fucking nightmare. Sunny shoved her desk shut and turned to gaze out the window. 

The lecture began, and Sunny listened for a few minutes before zoning out. This was a mathematics class, and she was already decent at maths, and it looked like this class was learning about polynomial functions, anyway. She had learned about those two _years_ ago. 

Maybe this change wouldn’t be all bad, she tried to tell herself. Sure, being set back so far hurt her pride a little, but it wasn’t like she’d have to _try_ to stay on top of things, now. That would keep them happy, and she could always hope that universities wouldn’t look too closely at her transcripts. She could stare out the window all day, and nobody would bother her, and then— 

“ _Oi_.” Something jabbed her arm. Sunny winced and turned to face Subaru. His lip curled, and he handed her a slip of paper. In-class work. Then, he opened his mouth again, and everything came crashing down. “Partner work.” 

“Huh?” she asked, stupidly. 

“We’re working in pairs,” he seethed. 

“ _P-pairs_?” she echoed. No, this was all wrong! She’d never had to do group work in her _other_ class! This had to be some kind of mistake! But no, everyone else around her was already paired off and working quietly. This was real. This was happening. 

Subaru scooched his desk over next to hers, and its feet scraped against the floor. Now that he was closer, she could see scuff marks and holes speckling his desk’s surface, where someone had clearly been grinding pencils into the wood. Sunny found herself wondering how thick the glass on the windows was. 

He was too close. Sunny hunched over her assignment and tried to block him out as she filled in the problems. Two minutes later, when she was finished and couldn’t put it off any longer, she peeked through her bangs and snuck a glance at him. 

Subaru hadn’t even started his assignment. His page was blank, and he was leaning back in his desk, just… _watching_ her. 

“U-um,” she stammered, pushing her sheet over onto his desk with shaky hands. “I think the first graph is supposed to look like this.” 

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “I don’t know what the hell these things look like.” 

“Yeah, memorizing it all can be rough at first,” Sunny said. “But it’s pretty simple, actually. Negative graphs go down, and to figure out the number of curves you just go with the highest exponent in the function.” 

“I don’t know what those are,” he muttered. 

“I…” Sunny gaped at him, wide-eyed. “What… what _what_ are?” 

“I don’t know shit about graphs and exponents and whatever the hell _these things_ are.” 

“Polynomial… functions…?” He wasn’t serious. He _couldn’t_ be serious. 

“ _Whatever_!” He smacked the assignment down on his desk. All of the students within a few rows of them flinched, but Subaru didn’t seem to notice. “I don’t give a shit about this. When the hell am I going to use these stupid symbols, anyway? I’m never going to need to know what that little three next to the x means–” 

“That’s an exponent,” Sunny cut in, weakly. 

“I DON'T  _CARE_ WHAT IT'S  _CALLED_!” he yelled. Subaru’s fist collided with his desk, displacing pens and distorting wood as its entire frame creaked. The room went deathly silent. Sunny clutched her pen with a sweaty, shaking hand. This wasn’t how her day was supposed to have gone! This wasn’t what she’d wanted at all! 

She forced herself to peek out from behind her bangs at the rest of the class. The other students had kept their backs to them, which she was grateful for, but she could see the tension in many of her classmates’ shoulders. Mr. Tamura was staring at them, eyebrows knit together, mouth slightly ajar. Yuma and Azusa, on the other hand, looked ready to leap out of their seats. Yuma had his teeth bared, and was leaning so far forward towards them that she was surprised he hadn’t fallen out of his chair yet. 

Sunny realized that if she didn’t deescalate things, there would be bloodshed. 

Gingerly, she reached out and took her slightly-crumpled assignment with a trembling hand. “Okay,” she said, voice thin. “We d-don’t have to do this.” 

He held her gaze. It had been over a month and a half since he’d last looked at her like this, but his glare brought her right back to her second evening in Japan, when he’d given her her first taste of her awful new life. Fear swirled in her gut, and saliva built up in the back of her throat. 

Then, Subaru reached out and snatched the paper from her hand. “Gimme that.” 

He flattened her assignment against his desk and began scribbling on his, copying her work with such vicious concentration that she didn’t dare interrupt. The classroom was silent save the scuffing of pencils against paper. 

Sunny clenched her hands together on top of the desk, bit her lip, and stared out the window, struggling to calm her frantic heart. 

* * *

Once the bathroom mirror was sufficiently steamed-up and she’d secured a plastic bag around her cast with a dozen rubber bands, Sunny eased herself into her bathtub. 

The water was scalding hot. Just how she liked it. If she could submerge her leg rather than have it dangle awkwardly over the ledge, things would be perfect. For now, however, she was content just to have the after-dinner alone time. Her days were often quiet but rarely peaceful, and baths were one of the few times she could relax, knowing she wouldn’t be interrupted– 

“Hey. Sow.” There were footsteps on the tiles. “I need you for–” 

She was already screeching. “GET _OUT_ OF MY GODDAMNED BATHROOM!” 

Yuma didn’t leave. Instead, he trudged forward, grimacing and covering his ears with his hands as he approached in spite of her shrieks. “The shit? This is important!” 

“What could _possibly_ be _so important_ that you’re barging in on me while I’m in the fucking _tub_?!” 

“I used too much fertilizer in the greenhouse plot and now there’re too many zucchinis to fit in the damned vegetable drawer. _C’mon_!” He snatched at her hand. 

“You’re in here right now because you grew too many _fucking_ _VEGETABLES_?!” she smacked his hand away and tried to splash water at him over the rim of the tub. “GET THE FUCK OUT!” 

“Don’t fuckin’ splash me!” Yuma snarled, grabbing her wrist. “I don’t get why you two’re _so self-conscious_ about y’er shitty bodies!” 

“Would you want someone to see _you_ naked? _Huh_?” 

“That’s different,” Yuma huffed. “I gotta cover up so girls don’t lose their shit over my abs.” 

Hearing his stupid, cocky-ass response pushed her over the edge. Rage melted into apathy. Apathy and disgust. Sunny pressed herself into the tub, trying to cover up as much as she could in her incredibly awkward position, and ground her teeth together. “Please just let me bathe in peace I can do something about your _stupid zucchinis_ in fifteen minutes _please_.” 

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” He growled, but released her wrist. “And watching the damned clock!” 

He slammed the door behind him so hard that the mounted mirror above the sink rattled. Sunny gurgled in frustration, and slid back down into the tub. 

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, when she hobbled into the kitchen, Yuma (true to his word) was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. Looking annoyed. 

“S’about fuckin’ time,” he grumbled, gesturing to a pile of zucchinis on the counter. “What can you do with all this?” 

She wanted to be done with this already. “Were you… looking for me to make anything in particular?” 

“You can make cake with zucchini, right?” 

“Yeah, I think I could figure that out. What flavor do you want?” 

“S’long as it has that cream cheese icing you made for Azusa’s birthday cake, I don’t give a shit.” 

“Fine. I don’t actually have a good enough idea of how to do this without a recipe, though, so–” 

He reached behind him, pulled out a massive cookbook, and set it down in front of her. He had already marked a recipe on zucchini cake. “There. Y’er recipe.” 

Sunny held in a sigh and went to work. Yuma was no help. He didn’t seem to know the slightest thing about baking _or_ prep, and when she told him to crack eggs for the cake he smashed them flat on the counter. Figuring she’d have a better chance of actually getting to eat her portion of cake if she divided everything up herself in advance, she decided to pull out a muffin tin to make cupcakes. 

When the tin was in the oven and the frosting was done, she plopped down on one of the stools, exhausted. She wasn’t used to having to lean on crutches all the time. Her armpits hurt. 

Yuma was licking away at the spatula and bowl, but she could still feel his eyes on her. When it became too much for her to ignore, she caved. “How’s the batter?” 

“S’good.” He shoved the spatula into his mouth. “We don’ get shweet schtuff muchh. This’s nice.” 

He dunked the spatula in his bowl, again, and Sunny realized that the batter bowl was behind him, licked clean, on the counter. The next mouthful that he shoveled in was white. Her eyes widened. 

“Don’t eat the _frosting_! We still need that!” 

“I’m saving enough for the cakes.” He put his hand out when she lunged at him, holding her at arm’s length. She could see the inside of the bowl anyway. He had eaten close to a third of what she’d made! A _third_! 

“You are _not_!” she snarled. He ignored her, dunking the spatula in once again, and she yelped. “That was just in your mouth! You can’t _do_ that!” 

“I jus’ did,” Yuma muttered, through a mouthful of frosting. 

“I’m gonna have to remake it,” she groaned. 

He shrugged and gave her a light shove. “Fine by me.” 

Yuma was still shoveling icing down his throat when she’d finished the second batch and taken the cupcakes out of the oven, and she was, quite frankly, disgusted. How could he _eat_ all of that? She wasn’t about to ask. He twirled the spatula in his fingers, and then dropped it into the bowl. It clanked against metal. He had eaten an entire fucking _batch_ of cream cheese frosting. Horrifying, truly. 

“Is it done yet?” he asked. 

“They have to cool first, or the frosting’ll melt off of them.” Sunny wrinkled her nose. “You can wait until then, right?” 

“Yeah, I’ve had enough frosting for a bit,” he admitted. 

“Are you still going to want a cupcake?” 

He scowled. “What kind’offa question is that? Of _course_ I’ll want cupcakes. How long d'they need to cool for?” 

“I dunno. It goes faster when you fan the cakes, I think. Or you could put them in the fridge.” 

“Ah. Okay,” he said, opening the fridge. “There’s space in here.” 

They sat in silence, waiting. Sunny fidgeted with her sleeves, and Yuma drummed his fingers on the counter. It was all… very awkward. Silence with them was never a good thing; it gave them too much time to think. She racked her brain for conversation starters. “So…” she began. “Does Mr. Tamura… make us do a lot of partner work?” 

“Tons of it. ‘Ya really fucked up picking the seat you did.” 

“We never had to pair up in my other class,” Sunny muttered. She was grateful for that; the idea of pairing up to do math problems with _Laito_ made her want to vomit. 

“Yeah, the teacher’s fresh out of university’d be my guess,” Yuma said. “He pulls partner work bullshit with us a lot. Says the break from lectures is good for us or whatever.” 

“He’s, like… in his forties, though.” 

“I don’t know. Don’t care, either. He’s new to the school.” 

“Oh. Okay.” She tugged at her sleeves. He looked like he was in a good mood. She could press. “Do the teachers know about… _well_ … you guys?” 

“Dunno. Maybe.” Yuma picked up the empty icing bowl, turning it over to examine it for frosting remnants. “They definitely know about y’er old owners, though. Their old man has the school in his pocket.” 

“Are you talking about… Karlheinz?” she asked, biting her tongue over his ‘old owners’ comment. 

“Yeah. I dunno much about what the old man does here, but I know Ryoutei is his bratty sons’ personal fuckin’ playground. Has been for years.” 

“How many years?” 

“No idea.” His lip curled. “At least ten, I think.” 

“And nobody… notices? The Sakamaki brothers have been attending Ryoutei for that long without aging and _nobody_ _notices_?” 

Yuma dragged his finger along the edge of the frosting bowl. “Well, s’not like they don’t notice.” He popped his finger in his mouth and smiled. “Or maybe they don’t. But it doesn’t really matter, does it? Not unless someone squeals, and squeals to the right guy. And there’re a lotta wrong guys.” 

Sunny frowned and nodded, sullenly. 

Yuma hovered over her as and frosted the cupcakes, which didn’t help things. Her hand was shaking too much to do a proper job with the frosting, and they all looked a real mess when she finished. He’d already eaten one of the cupcakes by the time she was finished with the batch, and when she set the last one down on the counter, he snatched it up right away. It went down his gullet in a matter of seconds. 

“S’good!” he exclaimed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he reached for the tray once again. 

She pawed at his shirt. “Holy shit, Yuma! You’re going to make yourself sick!” 

“They’ve got zucchini in ‘em.” 

“What about all the fucking frosting you ate like _ten minutes_ ago?!” 

“Cream cheese. That’s good for you.” He paused. “I think.” 

He was already halfway through his third cupcake. Sunny hung her head, defeated. “Just… limit yourself, please. Good god.” 

“Whatever.” Yuma shoved another bite into his mouth and chewed, staring at her. “Y’know,” he said, after swallowing. “Y’er pretty shit at making friends.” 

“ _Excuse_ me?” 

“Just an observation.” He licked his fingers, looking almost… pensive. “Have ‘ya considered baking more often?” 

“If you’re trying to suggest I’d make more friends if I brought them baked goods, you can fuck right off.” 

“You’ve seen how much Kou loves to eat.” 

She winced. “I don’t _want_ to be Kou’s friend. He hates me, yeah, but he stays in his part of the mansion and I stay in mine. It’s fine.” 

“He only stays on his side ‘cause Ruki tells him to.” Yuma shrugged. “And ‘ya aren’t exactly on _his_ good side, either, with the shit you pulled last weekend. And Azusa’s also upset.” 

Her shoulders drooped. “Bribing them with cake would still be bribery.” 

“Would ‘ya like me to be honest, Sow?” he sneered. Sunny didn’t want him to, but it wasn’t like he wouldn’t tell her if she objected. She grimaced and nodded. Yuma leaned back on the stool and sighed. “If ‘ya don’t wanna start makin’ an effort with my brothers, ‘ya might as well write down the recipe for this cream cheese frosting now, because it’s really fuckin' good and I don’t want this to be the last time I eat it.” 

Her blood ran cold. “Are they… going to kill me? Like… are they planning it?” 

His nose wrinkled. “No. But Ruki’s the only thing keeping Kou from snapping you in half, so I’d be trying to stay on his good side if I were you. ‘Ya _do_ wanna stay in one piece, right?” 

“O-oh. Yeah.” Sunny clenched her hands together in her lap and stared at her white knuckles. 

“Y’know,” Yuma said. “Ruki wouldn’t _need_ to watch y’er back if Kou didn’t hate’cha s’much as he did.” He reached out and ruffled her hair. “And Kou… he does _love_ to eat.” 

* * *

Sunny didn’t know how the hell Yuma had convinced her to try this. 

Was Kou awake? Could he sense her hovering outside his door? Could he smell the cupcake she was clutching with shaking hands? Could he hear her pounding heart? 

She sucked in a breath, shifted on the balls of her feet, and knocked. “Kou? Kou, are you there?” 

She didn’t want him to be there. She wanted nothing more than for him to be asleep for once, so she could shove the cupcake into her mouth and scurry back into the relative safety of her room. Luck, however, wasn’t on her side. It rarely seemed to be nowadays. 

“Oh? This is unusual,” Kou said as he pulled his door open. He gave her a once-over, casually, as he leaned against his doorframe, and then his eyes locked with hers. Her skin was already crawling. 

“I… I made cupcakes!” She choked on the words, but they came out nonetheless. “Would you like one?” 

“You made cupcakes for me?” he asked, sweetly. “I’m flattered. What kind are they?” 

“They’re… um… just zucchini cakes. With cream cheese–” 

“So you made cupcakes for _Yuma_.” One eyebrow went up. “And I’m the afterthought.” 

This, already, was spiraling out of control. She could _feel_ whatever paltry grip she had on this situation faltering. “W-well… he… asked… a-and…” 

“I’m just teasing you,” he huffed. “Good grief.” 

Sunny stared at him, eyes wide. “Oh. O-okay.” 

“You’re so jittery.” He giggled, pressing his cheek into the frame. His eyes flickered down to the cupcake in her shaky hands. “You only brought one. That’s a shame. Where’s yours?” 

“I’m not sure I’m following you.” 

“Your cupcake. You haven’t eaten one yet, have you?” He reached out and grabbed her wrists. “I mean, I gotta respect your dedication to that _diet_ of yours—and I _totally_ get why you chose to start—but don’t you think you’ve earned a break by now?” 

Kou began tugging her toward him. Her crutches and legs dragged on the carpet. “H-hey, what–” 

She stumbled forward, jerking her arm out at the last instant (to save the cupcake from ending up smashed against her top) before tumbling face-first into his shoulder. Her crutches clattered to the ground, and he dragged her into the room and shut the door behind them. “We’ve got a _lot_ to talk about, don’t we?” 

“W-we do?” she stammered, twisting her head to glance back at her sole means of escape as he took her farther and farther away from it. “I’m not sure–” 

He snatched the cupcake from her hand and shoved her into his couch. “Oh, so you and Subaru _didn’t_ have a fight in the middle of class?” 

Sunny gazed up at him, feeling completely helpless. “We… I wouldn’t call it a fight.” 

Kou smiled, and then split the cupcake in two and handed her a half. “Do you think I’m upset?” 

“Are you?” She forced herself to nibble at her cupcake, trying to look casual as she desperately pressed back into the couch. 

He plopped down beside her. “Nah,” he said. “I just wanted to hear it from you. It sounds _hilarious_.” 

“It… wasn’t. He’s scary when he gets mad.” 

“Who, _Subaru_?” he guffawed. “You’re afraid of Sakamaki _Subaru_?” 

“You _aren’t_?” 

“I mean, yeah, he’s _going for_ the whole ‘scary loner’ vibe, but… c’mon. Subaru’s just a big ol’ marshmallow.” 

“I’m not convinced that’s true,” she said, weakly. 

Kou shoved the cupcake half into his mouth. “He _ish_ , thouhgh! He’sh _sho obvioushly_ in love witfh Masokitty, an’ th’ second yuh point that out–” he swallowed and grinned. “His face gets _so red_! It’s adorable. He can’t _stand_ being accused of having feelings, the poor baby.” 

Sunny blinked a few times. “He… likes Yui?” 

“Oh, he’s head-over- _heels_ for her. It’s puppy love if I’ve ever seen it. Like I said; he’s a total marshmallow.” 

She took another tiny bite of cupcake, frowning. Subaru, a marshmallow? She couldn’t believe it. 

“Ah,” Kou said. “Was he the one that gave you that?” 

Her free hand had drifted to her neck, her fingers ghosting across scar tissue without her even realizing it. “He…” she sputtered as her eyes flickered to the door. Too far away. “He… was.” 

“Figures.” He leaned back into a cushion and propped his legs up on the couch, his feet on her lap. “Hey. How’d it happen?” 

She wanted nothing more than to shove his feet off, but knew it wouldn’t be worth it in the end. It never was. “He bit me. I tried to get away.” 

“Really?” He looked… disappointed. “That’s laaame. You’re actually that stupid?” 

“I’d never been bitten before.” She winced. That had sounded too defensive. 

“So he was your first.” Kou crossed one leg over the other. “Huh. You didn’t really smell that much like him when we met. I kinda assumed the lazy blond was.” 

“Um. Can we not… talk about this?” 

“Sore subject, huh?” He giggled. “Okay, fine. Why were you guys fighting, though?” 

“It wasn’t a fight,” she insisted, again. “He didn’t like me trying to help him out with his assignment.” 

“What was the assignment about?” 

She wasn’t about to tell him what she was studying! The transfer itself had been such a downgrade that it would be embarrassing to admit, _especially_ to _him_! “Um… I don’t think that’s… all that important.” 

“You don’t, hm?” There was menace in his tone. A sharpness to his voice. “But you don’t get to decide that, do you?” 

Her stomach dropped. Sunny needed to have both hands free if she was going to make a dash for her crutches. She shoved what was left of her cupcake into her mouth. 

“Have you thought about what we discussed yesterday?” he hissed. “If the idea of being a good little kitten for Ruki upsets you as much as it _obviously does_ , don’t you think you should find _some_ other way to make yourself more useful than a used chew toy?” 

“It was a maths assignment,” she whimpered. “We were supposed to graph polynomials and Subaru didn’t know what exponents were so I tried to help him but he just got mad I didn’t mean to upset you really I’m sor… I-I just—I didn’t–” 

“You’re a really ugly person on the inside. Did you know that?” Kou asked. He took his feet off her lap and grabbed her collar. “You’ll run your mouth no problem, but the second you cross a line you think you can take it all back, and you want us to pretend it never happened.” 

“That’s not what I was trying to do!” she insisted, as her voice crept higher. His face was too close. _He_ was too close. 

“If Subaru cares about the Masokitty—which he _absolutely does_ —then we have _all the more reason_ to keep him in check," he snarled, leaning into Sunny and trapping her against the arm of his couch. "So the next time one of us asks you for information, you're going to cough it up, you _stupid little_ –” 

“ _Kou_.” 

She recognized the voice, but couldn’t tear her eyes off of Kou. Kou twisted his head to look at Ruki, expression unreadable. For a few excruciating seconds, the room was still. The room was silent, and she wanted to be— _desperately_ wanted to be!—as well, but she couldn’t control her laboured breathing. Her shaky gasps were the only sound in the world, and all was still. 

Then, Kou spoke, and it all collapsed. “I didn’t say anything important.” 

“Maybe not,” Ruki said. “But you’ve done enough.” 

Kou’s fists tightened around the fabric of her shirt. 

“Get off of her, Kou.” 

She could hear him grinding his teeth, _see_ the tension in his jaw— 

“ _Fine_.” He jerked away, leaving her to stare at the ceiling with wide, watery eyes. “She’s all yours, right?” 

His comment hung, dead, in the air, as Ruki chose not to respond. His face appeared in her patch of ceiling, and then she was in his arms. He started toward the door, and she blinked the wetness from her eyes. She was okay. It was over. 

And then. 

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and terror overtook her so completely that she lost control. She knew she shouldn’t look. She didn’t _want_ to look. Her worthless, traitorous body left her no choice. 

Kou’s face was a contorted mess of harsh lines and sharp teeth, twisted into an expression of rage so vicious that her lungs froze in her chest. 

It wasn’t over at all. If anything, Ruki had only made things _worse_. 

The door eased shut behind them, cutting Kou from her vision, and Sunny curled into Ruki’s chest. Her lungs started working again only when he turned the corner and she couldn’t see his room anymore. She was stiff in his arms. 

The next few minutes passed by in a blur. This routine was familiar, now. She put on the pajamas that his familiars brought. Sipped the tea he always prepared for her and listened to him read. Brushed her teeth with the spare toothbrush he kept in his bathroom. It didn’t feel comforting tonight, though. She crawled into bed with him, but couldn’t fall asleep until well after he’d set his book down and turned off the light. Her stomach twisted and turned. 

Eventually, _finally_ , her eyelids drooped shut and she drifted away into a fitful sleep. 

Kou’s distorted expression of hatred haunted her dreams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile, and I'm sorry for that. This next month is going to be hectic, so the next update is going to be a ways away. I apologize. 
> 
> The class setup doesn't match canon information we have on Ryoutei at all, but I knew I'd already messed up by putting the younger Mukamis in Grade 11 in T.E.A. I'm playing my authorial "I do what I want" card here because reasons, so I hope you all can bear with me here! 
> 
> Hopefully, things will have cooled down a bit by September and that updates will be less sporadic then. I'll be doing my best. Thank you all for your patience! I really appreciate it! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and that I'll see you again soon with Chapter 4. Thank you all for reading :)


	4. Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the disaster of the night before, Sunny tries to keep as far away from Kou as she possibly can.

Waking up here was so routine that she didn't even get initial shock of waking up in a room without pale yellow walls anymore. This green wallpaper was, by now, familiar. She knew all the little intricacies of its patterns by heart. Familiarity didn't translate to comfort, however. Not here.

Sunny lay, awake and perfectly still, in Ruki's bed, listening. There was nothing for a few seconds, and then she heard the noise that she'd both come to expect and learned to fear coming from behind her, barely audible through the layers of covers and sheets.

A wet, shaky breath. Her signal that his nightmares had begun.

She stiffened and fisted the covers with white-knuckled hands. Funny that she was always most afraid when he was at his most vulnerable. Tonight, his arms were a vice around her waist, so she knew she wouldn't be able to shimmy out of his bed and creep back to the relative safety of her room without him noticing. And hell, even if she  _could_ escape, she probably wouldn't, after what had happened last night. Her only option was to wait. And hope. And pray.

Sunny's eyes flitted to the grandfather clock in the corner and inwardly cringed. Two in the afternoon. His alarm wouldn't go off for another three hours. She sucked in a shallow breath. Her top was still dry - a good sign - but his grip was anything but loose, which troubled her. She could only pretend to be asleep until he cut off her air, after all. Some nights, which she could only assume were when his dreams got particularly vivid, his fingers would dig into her skin and she would find little red crescents on her stomach the next morning in the mirror, but even _that_ she could manage. Not oxygen deprivation, though.

His arms tightened around her waist, but she knew to expect that by now, and she was ready for it. Sunny twisted and scooched toward the headboard so they weren't digging right into her diaphragm. Her stomach was going to pay for this maneuver tomorrow, but a dull ache was better than asphyxiation.

Behind her, Ruki stiffened.

She went still. Sunny pressed her lips together as her lungs froze in her chest. Even though her hip was off the mattress (which made for an incredibly uncomfortable position to hold), she didn't dare move. She stared into the familiar darkness of his room, waiting for his breathing to return to its usual rhythm. Listening wasn't easy. Blood pounded in her ears.

Finally, he relaxed, and the tension in his shoulders and arms melted away. He sighed, blowing cool air into her neck, and Sunny finally allowed herself to exhale. She was safe.

"If your intention was to convince me that you were asleep, you shouldn't have stopped breathing. It causes your heart rate to spike, and humans  _do_ breathe in their sleep, you realize."

Well, shit. Sunny pressed her lips together. His voice sounded controlled, but that didn't mean she was going to get out of this unscathed. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"You did," he replied, casually. His tone was light enough, but there was a slight tremor to his voice. "I don't mind."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked, speaking as gently as she possibly could.

Ruki didn't say anything for a while, and when he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "No. I don't."

Sunny nodded. "Okay."

He loosened his grip on her waist, and she settled into a more comfortable position, muttering her thanks. The room was silent. His fingers curled around her pajama top, sliding against the softer part of her stomach. She clenched her teeth.

"Did you…" he began, after a moment. "…get a chance to try your cupcakes last night?"

She pressed her cheek into his pillow. "I did."

"I expect you to eat your share. I don't like having food go to waste."

"They won't go to waste. Yuma's had at least three of them already."

"As if he needed any more sugar…" Ruki grumbled.

"I can't exactly stop him," she complained. "And yeah, I tried."

"I understand," he conceded. For a brief moment - just long enough to make her wonder if their conversation was over already - he went silent. Then, he adjusted behind her, hands squeezing the fabric of her shirt yet again. "I'd like to see you eat a few more of them. I can hide a couple from Yuma."

"That's okay. I don't mind not getting that many. There're a lot of us here, and Yuma was the one that wanted them, anyway."

"This isn't about fairness," he said. "You're losing too much weight, and I've been putting off bringing this up for too long. I thought that… it doesn't matter. I won't let this slide any longer."

Sunny shrank into herself slightly. He'd made comments about how little she ate before, but those were… off-hand remarks and empty threats he never followed up on. This felt different. "I… I don't mind the where I'm at, now. It was weight I could afford to lose."

"Your weight itself isn't what matters to me. What you choose to eat - or not - affects the quality of your blood."

Her nose wrinkled. "I know."

"And the quality of your blood helps determine your use to us."

"I KNOW." She snarled. " _God_. You guys sound like fucking Frau Pfefferkuchenhaus."

"Like... _who_ , now?"

"The... uh... the gingerbread house witch. From Hansel and Gretel." No response. "Like you're trying to fatten me up so you can eat me."

"I got the reference."

"I thought it was clever."

"I'm sure you did." She could practically  _hear_ him rolling his eyes. "Eat more at meals. That's all I am asking of you. You can handle that, correct?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"Good. I can ask Kou to eat more slowly at meals, if you think that will help."

He had made his offer in an almost playful tone, but a shiver still ran down her spine. _Kou_. "No... no, I'm fine."

"Alright." Another pause. Ruki shifted, and his arms left her waist. A hand brushed against her shoulder. "Something is bothering you. What is it?"

Sunny frowned, laying still and silent, trying to figure out how to phrase her question delicately. Trying to figure out if it was a good idea to ask it at all.

She knew when she'd taken too long. A hand slithered into the slight gap between her waist and the mattress, and Ruki rolled her over so she was facing him. He was close. Too close. She had only actually  _seen_  how he looked after a nightmare once before, and the swollen skin around his eyes startled her. And his expression scared her. His grey eyes were cold and harsh. "I asked you a question."

Sunny curled into herself best she could, suddenly feeling very trapped and very small. "I…" she stammered, trying to wet her tongue. "I'm worried about Kou. He seemed… really, _really_ angry last night."

His expression was unreadable, but Ruki dropped his shoulders, and the tension in the room that had been so suffocating a few seconds earlier began to melt away. "You're very good at getting under his skin." He reached out and brushed her bangs off her forehead. "I'm not entirely sure why that is," he admitted. "I wouldn't try offering him cupcakes again. Or approaching him at all, really."

"What if _he_ approaches _me_?" Her stomach was still churning. She really didn't want to press too much, but... this mattered. "What then?"

"You can be terribly combative," he said. "Kou… I don't agree with his way of thinking, but I understand it. He believes in equivalent exchanges. If you fight him, he'll fight back. If you give him what he wants, however… he should treat you well enough."

She swallowed. Kou's expression from the night before had seared itself into her mind. The intensity of it. The hatred in it. "What do you think he wants?" she asked, voice thin.

"I don't know." Ruki's lips were a fine line, but his hand was gentle when he leaned in and ruffled her hair. "I've told him not to kill you, and while I wouldn't expect him to ignore you completely, he has promised not to go too far."

Her blood ran cold. "What does that MEAN, though?" she asked. "What's 'too far?'" Her voice was high and pleading.

Ruki didn't skip a beat. "It means he won't do anything to you that he wouldn't do to Eve."

To _Yui_. Sunny knew what _that_ meant. She had caught glimpses of Yui when the girl didn't know she was there. Sunny had seen her struggling to stay upright, seen her tiny frame faltering in the hallways, seen her translucent skin and sunken-in eyes and hollow cheekbones.

Kou wouldn't do to her what he wouldn't do to _Eve_.

What a fucking joke.

Sunny could have laughed or cried. Instead, she bobbed her head and tried to make herself look like she wasn't actually on the edge of bursting into tears.

Her performance obviously didn't convince him, because Ruki closed his eyes and closed the gap between them, pressing his forehead to hers. "I won't let him hurt you," he said, quietly.

 _You couldn't even keep Azusa from showing me his entire goddamned knife collection!_  she wanted to scream, but her throat felt thick and swollen. The words wouldn't come out.

His arms looped around her from behind, and Ruki pulled her in. One hand, with its fingers entangled in her hair, pressed her head into his shoulder, sending a clear message. _This conversation is over_ , it said. _Go back to sleep_.

Sunny squeezed her eyes shut. His words of reassurance, she knew, were as empty as her chest felt.

* * *

She must have been tired, because when she woke that evening, twilight had already passed, and the only indications that Ruki had slept next to her at all were a few soft lines in the sheets. She didn't want to leave - it was warm under the covers - but staying wasn't an option anymore. With him gone, his room was no longer her sanctuary.

Sunny rolled out of bed, hobbled over to the crutches he must have retrieved from outside Kou's room a short while ago, and peeked out into the hallway, looking left and right as if she was trying to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic. Interactions with Kou didn't _always_ leave her feeling like she'd been hit by a bus, but after last night, she wasn't going to risk it.

She shuffled through the mansion, wondering if she would be alright changing in her own bedroom or if it would be safer to head to Yui's room to do it. Her heart crawled up into her throat as she hobbled along. Every dark spot, every unknown object could be dangerous. Could be _him_. The shadows on the walls played cruel tricks on her, shifting with menacing purpose in the edges of her vision.

She couldn't do it.

Yui, mercifully, was happy to stand outside her bathroom as she changed.

Kou didn't look at her during either breakfast or the limo ride to Ryoutei, which Sunny was more grateful for that she could even put into words. Yesterday, the idea of being in a lower class had upset her, but today she was just relieved she wouldn't have to sit in the same room as him for eight hours. Sunny crossed her legs beneath her desk and stared out the window to keep herself from glancing over at the clock. Time couldn't pass slowly enough today.

When the partner work portion of maths class began, she wordlessly completed her assignment - asymptotes today - and slid the piece of paper over onto Subaru's desk. He copied her work in silence.

Outside, the moon shone high in the sky, illuminating the courtyard below and reflecting off the school's fountain in slivers of shimmering silver light. It looked rounder tonight. The full moon was only a few days off. Sunny frowned, knowing nothing good ever happened on the full moon and wondering if she could make it through this one without incident by gluing herself to Yui's side. Maybe they could claim they were having a study night, or maybe the Mukamis would be less aggressive if they spent the night baking for them.

Something prodded her in the side. When she forced herself to turn her head, Subaru was glaring at her, eyes narrowed. He pointed to the assignment. "S'this right?"

So he wanted a proofreader, as well. Frowning, Sunny leaned in and looked over his scribbles. "It looks fine. You might wanna erase around here, though. These lines shouldn't touch."

"Fine." His eraser dug into the paper, leaving jagged lines of smudged graphite in its wake. "That good?"

She pressed her lips together. His scribbles looked more like absolute number graphs with the centers removed than asymptotes, but she held her tongue. "It's… yeah. It's good." 

His lip curled. "What's wrong with it _now_?"

"It's fine."

"If I get points taken off of this, I'm gonna be pissed," he snarled.

Sunny's nose scrunched up as she took his assignment. "It's in the right place, but the lines should curve toward this point without touching it." He was staring at her like she'd just spoken in a dead language. She grimaced and pointed to the equation. "Because if the value of x is three, you'd be dividing by zero. And you can't do that."

"Fine." He didn't look like he understood it any better, but she wasn't about to risk setting him off again. Sunny averted her gaze and looked around the classroom. A few other pairs were done and chatting quietly amongst themselves, but most of her classmates were still going over the work. Sunny rested her cheek on her knuckles, grimacing.

"Is Yui… doing alright?" Subaru asked.

He was fidgeting with one of his few mechanical pencils that still had its clip attached (and it didn't look like it would stay attached for long, given how far he was bending it back). Kou's comments from yesterday played over in her mind. She opened her mouth, searching for a response. "She's… doing okay."

"The hell's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, Subaru. She's doing… well, she isn't great, but were you expecting to hear that everything is lollipops and rainbows? Because it isn't."

A low, rumbling noise gurgled deep in his throat. "I'm asking if you think she's happier at _their_  place."

That caught her off-guard. Sunny let her bangs fall over her eyes and snuck a peek at Yuma and Azusa. Neither looked keyed into their conversation. Answering was… probably safe. "It's still living with… uh… your guys' kind. It's different, but… I don't know if I can say whether she likes living with the Mukamis more than she liked being with you guys or not. I can't speak for her, y'know?"

His face screwed up. "Well, what about _you_ , then?"

She stared at the swirls of wood in her desk. "I've gotten used to… erm… I'm more accustomed to living with them, now."

"So you like them more."

"I don't wanna say that I 'like' _either_ of your families all that much," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

He didn't have anything to say in response to that. She crossed her legs beneath her desk and turned toward the window again, trying to avoid looking at the clock. Her eyes kept drifting to the waxing gibbous, which had already begun its arch downward, slowly creeping back toward the dim line of the horizon.

One inevitable for another.

* * *

After the limo dropped them off in the driveway, once she had changed into her casual clothes in Yui's room, they stopped by the kitchen and made themselves hot drinks.

Yui had said before that she made a decent cup of cocoa, and when the warm mug was in her hands, Sunny realized that she had been selling herself short. She smiled into the whipped cream topping and melted into one of the stools.

"Do you like it?" Yui asked from the sink.

"It's amazing," Sunny replied between sips. "And don't worry about the dishes; I can get those. Drink yours before it gets cold."

Yui took the seat across from hers. "It's a recipe from one of the ladies that went to our church," she explained. "It was actually kind of a big deal that she gave it to me. My father said she waited until her daughter-in-law's _wedding_ to give it to her."

"I can see why," she said, grinning. "One of my old neighbors was the same way with her chocolate crunch biscuits. I baked with her twice a month for years, and she _still_  wasn't willing to show me the recipe card when I moved away."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"We still write letters back and forth sometimes. I'm gonna get it eventually, just you wait!"

Her statement hung heavy in the air. She had dared use both the present _and_  future tenses when talking about Ireland, and the former was dangerous enough. They glanced over at the door, nervously, and went back to sipped their cocoa in silence for a few minutes.

When she could safely assume that nobody was going to show up in the kitchen, Sunny reached for the tin on the edge of the kitchen's island. "I... made cupcakes yesterday, by the way."

"Oh." Yui perked up, and then slouched over again. "Don't you think that Ruki would get upset at us for ruining our appetites?"

Sunny remembered her conversation with him from the night before, and smiled. "Nooope."

She pried open the tin and looked inside. There were two cupcakes left. The Mukamis had, in one day, gone through ten cupcakes. Like goddamned animals.

The girls stared at the cupcakes, and then at each other. Weighing their options.

Then, Sunny reached in, grabbed one of the cupcakes, and took a giant bite. She shoved the tin at Yui, who grinned and took the other. Through mouthfuls of cake, they snickered, and then dissolved into giggles, and then burst into peals of laughter. It was stupid to laugh. They  _knew_ it was stupid. Neither cared. The last two cupcakes and cocoa were delicious, and neither of them were going to be hungry for dinner, and they didn't care. Yui had frosting at the corners of her mouth, and Sunny had it up to her nose. They quieted down, wiped their faces, and washed the dishes with big, stupid smiles glued to their faces.

"You've got frosting up your nose," Yui pointed out, eyes glittering as she reached out with a wet rag in hand. "Here."

Sunny held still as Yui dabbed at her face, trying to hold herself steady as the scratchy fabric tickled her nose. She couldn't keep the grin from parting her lips, however, and Yui was cracking up as she tried to wipe off all the sugar. "How did you even-"

"The kitchen is noisier than usual, today," a voice spoke from the doorway. The change in atmosphere was instant. The girls' smiles slid off their faces, and they both turned to face Ruki with wide eyes.

Yui was the first to speak. "S-sorry, Ruki."

"We were just… uh…" Sunny fumbled for words, and then perked up. "Eating cupcakes."

Yui blanched. "We cleaned up after ourselves, don't worry—"

"Are you quite finished?" Ruki's eyes, which were nothing more than slits, flitted from Yui to her and back again. "I would like to start dinner."

He wasn't in a good mood, and she didn't understand why, but the reason didn't matter. The only thing either of them could do now was try to smooth things over. "Oh, yeah," Sunny stammered, hoping to placate him with compliance.

Yui hung the rag over the edge of the sink. "We'll leave—"

"Not you." Ruki's glare was directed at Yui, but it was so intense that  _both_ girls flinched. "You'll stay."

Sunny spared a glance at Yui, whose face was so pale that it almost matched her white blouse. The blonde stood frozen in place for a moment, stiff and still and fragile as a pane of glass. Then, she turned to Sunny, and her lips curved as she nodded.

With heavy feet, Sunny trudged out of the kitchen, and the tension shattered behind her.

* * *

Yui didn't show up at dinner that night. When Azusa asked where she was, Ruki said she had decided to lie down for a while, and his brothers all nodded in understanding. Everyone knew what he meant. 

This wasn't the first time Yui had been absent from a family dinner. Not by a long shot. Even when she'd first arrived at the mansion, Yui would "skip" dinner around once a week. Nowadays, however, her absences seemed more frequent. Sunny wished she knew why that was. She wished she could _help_  her. Most of all, though, she just wished she could get them both out.

She felt queasy. Yui's absence meant she had nobody to be with after dinner. Across the table from her, Kou shoveled food onto his plate and into his mouth. He seemed cheerful enough, but he was _always_  cheerful around his brothers. Once dinner was over and she was alone, though... his mood could change in an instant. And, after last night, she had no idea what he would do when it did.

Her eyes drifted from brother to brother and locked with Ruki's. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded towards the bowl of steamed vegetables he'd no doubt strategically placed in directly front of her. A silent order. Meekly, she served herself, clenching the spoon as tightly as she could to keep her hand from shaking as she dished more vegetables onto her plate. She'd eaten one serving (which she'd thought was decently sized) already, but if he wanted her to take more she wasn't going to argue.

Her stomach protested every bite she took, but she kept going until she'd cleared her plate. Oblivious to her efforts, Kou and Yuma went back and forth, chatting about their days as if Yui wasn't unconscious and she wasn't struggling and nothing was wrong in their world. A part of her wanted to lurch over the center of the table and stab them in their stupid throats with her fork.

But she was never going to do that.

Then, dinner was over. Ruki stood to clear the table, and everyone else shuffled out of the dining room. Her more reluctantly than usual. Sunny mulled over the idea of staying behind and asking Ruki if he wanted help with the dishes, but it wasn't like being with him would guarantee her safety. Not that anything ever did.

By the time she made it to her bedroom, her stomach was churning. Was it okay to stay here? Would she be better off heading to the library, or maybe the living room? Or would her being out in the open embolden him? She didn't know. She didn't know anything at all except for the fact that he hated her and was angry that Ruki had cut him off last night and that he was  _so scary_ when he was mad!

She was pacing back and forth anxiously, crutches digging into her armpits. Her heart hammered in her ears. Her breathing was shallow. What was she supposed to do? Yui couldn't help her, and Ruki was busy with the dishes, and Azusa wasn't talking to her! Oh, god, now was the perfect time for him to show up. Now, when everyone was distracted, he could come in and dig his fingers into the skin of her throat…

Sunny locked the door and propped a chair against it. But what good was that going to do? What good was ANYTHING that she tried to keep him out going to do? If he really wanted to hurt her - which he did, she was  _certain_ that he did! - she wouldn't be able to do a damned thing about it. His expression from last night burned in the back of her mind. His eyes. His curled lips. His sharp, gleaming _teeth_ —

She tasted iron. Her breaths were wheezy gasps. Saliva collected at the back of her throat.

Sunny hobbled into the bathroom and threw up.

Everything tasted sour and gross. She poured herself a glass of water, gulped it down, and then curled into a ball on the bathroom floor. It was a large bathroom, but it felt claustrophobic tonight, like the walls were closing in on her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She was being watched -  _he_  was watching her - she was sure of it. The water wasn't sitting well, either. She crawled on her hands and knees to the toilet and vomited again.

Time passed. Sunny retched and wheezed and waited. She almost wanted him to come in so they could get this over with. Her chest felt tight. She just wanted this to be over. Blood pounded in her ears.

There was no knock. One second she was alone in the bathroom, and the next, she somehow knew that she wasn't.

"Hey, y'er wasting a shitton of water flushing the toilet like th—what the _fuck_?"

Sunny hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed.

Footsteps padded toward her, quiet but still audible. "Uhh… sow?" Yuma asked, nudging her with his foot. "You alright?"

She wanted to scream. What came out sounded more like a whimper.

"M'kay, yeah, stupid question," he muttered. "Well, shit, I dunno know what to do about this. You sick or something?"

She couldn't figure out how to stop crying.

"Um. Okay. I'm just… uh… I'm gonna get Ruki, now."

" _No_!" She spat out the word. "D-don't _leave_!"

"The hell d'you want _me_ to do, then?" he snarled.

"I d-don't kn-know, but don't _leave_  m-me here!"

"Well, shit." He knelt down beside her. "I don't fuckin'—what am I—shit, you even got it in y'er hair. Let's… I dunno… should wash it out, at least."

Yuma dragged her over to the tub, swearing all the while. He turned the water on and shoved her head under the faucet. She was too exhausted to even cringe away from the frigid stream. When his fingers dug into her scalp and shampoo ran into her eyes, the pain was dull. Sunny felt like a rag doll with all its stuffing removed.

He turned off the water, threw a towel over her head, and handed her her toothbrush. "You can do this at least, right?"

She nodded, weakly. "Mmhm."

"I'm gonna getcha y'er pajamas," he said. When her eyes widened, he groaned. "It's still y'er room, ain't it?"

Sunny limped after him nonetheless, toothbrush in mouth. He stood on the other side of the door as she changed.

"Look," he said, awkwardly, when she was done. "I dunno what… _this_  is. I don't know shit about what's going on with you, and I don't… know how to deal with it. D'you want me to take you to Ruki?"

She thought back to Kou's expression the night before and shook her head.

He sighed. "Alright. I'll be headin' out, then."

"No, please—" she began. His eyebrows rose. Her voice snagged in her throat, and she swallowed. "I… I don't… want to be… by myself right now."

His eyes were the size of dinner plates. "You… what? _What_?"

If doing so wouldn't have been ratting him out, she would've told him about Kou in a heartbeat. God, this was so embarrassing. Her face was probably beet red. "Can you… stay here, tonight?"

"I… uh…" he stammered, choking on his words. "No? I mean, I… y'er mattress is shitty and soft, and I—"

Her throat constricted. "I… I—"

"But I could make room on my futon, though!" he hurriedly cut her off.

Sunny sniffled and wiped at her face. "C-could you?"

He stared down at her, obviously dumbstruck, for a good, long moment. Uncomfortable as she was with this -  _all_ of this - she held firm, meeting his gaze with bleary eyes. Then, after muttering a few obscenities under his breath, Yuma bent down, looped an arm behind her knees, and hoisted her into his arms. They were in his room in a matter of seconds.

"It'll be a bit tight with the both of us, but it sounds like that's what'cha wanted, right?" he asked. His voice was teasing, but in a way that was just gentle enough that she didn't snap back at him. Yuma fumbled with his futon for a few seconds, and the frame popped out. He leaned back, looking all-too proud of himself. "Pretty handy, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied, trying not to sound too miserable. It  _was_ going to be a bit tight.

His face scrunched up. "Now, I'm only being so goddamned nice because 'ya made those cupcakes yesterday. I ain't… this ain't gonna be a thing, got it?"

"Got it."

He started rummaging through one of the drawers in his cabinet, and she looked around his room. It had been… a long time since she'd been here. His futon was still hideous, and the bright colors were garish, but she didn't mind. Sunny could have slept on a goddamned rock in the middle of a blizzard if that rock had been out of Kou's reach. Sighing, she crawled onto his bed and sank into the mattress.

"I don't sleep with blankets most of the time, but here." A heavy weight landed on her side. She spread the blankets out and cocooned into them, grateful for the extra layers of both warmth and protection. When she was settled in, he grabbed the blankets' hems and yanked them over her nose and ears. "You good?"

Sunny nodded. This wasn't… she still didn't feel _well_ , but she was better off than she would have been on her own.

"Hey, 'ya could at least  _try_ to look happy," he grumbled, nudging her shoulder with his fist.

"I'm sorry."

" _Hah_?" the sharpness of his voice made her flinch, and he grimaced. "I'm just messin' with 'ya, sow… jeez." He reached out and pressed his palm to her forehead, eyebrows furrowing together in concentration. "Fuck, _I_ can't tell if 'ya have a fever or not. You… you sure you don't wanna see Ruki?"

"Yeah," her voice was small and shaky. "I'm sure."

Yuma groaned and flopped down beside her. "Well, if 'ya think y'er gonna throw up again, lemme know so 'ya don't do it all over my futon."

Sunny closed her eyes and nodded. "I will."

His room was silent for a while. Outside, the wind whistled between tree branches and brushed against the windowpanes, only drowned out by the occasional noise of branches scraping across glass, but in here everything was quiet and still. He shifted beside her, but she barely noticed. She was too busy listening to the eerie chorus outside.

"Sow."

When she opened her eyes, his were inches away. She blinked, twice, muscles tensing. Waiting.

"I don't…" he began. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I don't… this's weird, okay?"

She didn't know what to say. Fragments of sunlight, which filtered in through the tree branches, caught little parts of him. His eyes. The flyaway hairs curling into his forehead. His teeth. An arm looped around her back and dragged her in, and, in spite of herself, Sunny gasped.

He was close enough that she could hear the rumble in his throat. "Shit, I'm not gonna bite you. You were puking y'er guts out, like, a half hour ago. You'd taste like crap."

"Sorry," she said, again. The word felt heavy on her tongue.

"Like I said. Really fuckin' weird." Her face was flush against his chest. When he sighed, she felt the movement of his ribs. "You'd better be back to normal tomorrow, after all this."

Sunny pressed her lips together.

"I like you more when y'er loud and feisty and kinda obnoxious," he said. "Suits you more, that's for damned sure." Yuma exhaled into her hair, and his arms tightened around her. "So get better, got it?"

She was all but smothered against him, but she still managed to murmur an "mmhm" into his chest. Yuma relaxed into her. A few minutes later, he started snoring.

It wasn't as quiet in his room now that he was making all that noise, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If his snoring was drowning out the awful scraping of wood against glass, she wasn't about to complain.

Down the hall, Ruki's clock struck ten times. It was bright outside, but she couldn't see much beyond the fabric of his shirt. As she grew accustomed to it, the rhythm of his chest rising and falling and the sound of him became almost comforting. Slowly but surely, her muscles relaxed, and she settled into his hold.

It took a while, but when everything else had all but melted away, Sunny closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this one. WiFi has been dodgy recently, but I hope I can start updating more regularly now. I have more time on my hands now that fall has started. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all so much for reading! :)


	5. Interlude: Il vecchio castello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeannette navigates her new surroundings.

Jeannette clutched the umbrella she’d stolen from the stand by the front door close to her chest, even though she had a sinking feeling it wouldn’t do her much good if she needed to use it. If she really _was_ dealing with super-vampires (something she suspected to be true but still really, _really_ didn’t want to believe,) one measly umbrella wasn’t going to save her. No, she needed something better. A knife, if she could find one, or maybe a sword. This _was_ an old castle, after all. There had to be one lying around _somewhere_.

Information first, she told herself. A sword would be nice, of course, but she should know who (or what) she would be wielding it against first, ideally. That felt like the logical way of approaching… whatever all of _this_ was.

She tiptoed her way down the hall and eased open one of the few doors in the mansion that she was familiar with - the entrance to the library - and stepped inside, shutting it behind her.

The grand library was as empty as ever, and, because this room alone was almost as big as her family’s entire flat in Donegal, that emptiness felt almost… eerie. The entire castle felt like that, actually; like it had been built to hold hundreds, but now housed just two within its walls. Well, three, if she wished to include herself (which she didn’t).

Empty as this place was, however, there was _someone_ around that kept things up; she’d never seen a speck of dust anywhere in the mansion, ever, and one time, after she dared to leave her bedroom to search for the elusive kitchen (a complete failure, she was ashamed to admit - she’d gotten jittery after just a few minutes of wandering and had scampered back to her room with a pit ever-deepening in her stomach) and had returned to a newly-made bed complete with fluffed pillows and a fresh, hot meal on her bedside table. An unsettling find. Someone was working to keep things up, and whoever it was was _watching_ her.

Jeannette made her way to the only part of the perpetually vacant library that changed on a regular basis: the table in the centre of the room. Every day, something was different. Sometimes, one of the bookmarks would move. Others, new books would appear and old ones would go back to the shelves. There were a few long, white hairs on the back of one plush purple armchair, so Jeannette had her suspicions.

She never _saw_ Carla in the library, but that might have just been her getting lucky. The warbling night sky outside never changed, so she didn’t know when morning or evening was, but there was a clock not too far from her room that chimed on the hour, and Jeannette figured there was a good chance that they ate at seven chimes (either breakfast _or_ dinner), so she timed her library visits accordingly and held her breath.

Not much had changed since her last visit. Jeannette frowned as she settled in one of the armchairs and propped her umbrella up against it, wondering for the hundredth time if leaving her room was ever even worth the risk. It wasn’t like she could _read_ most of what she saw on the table, anyway - she had yet to see _anything_ written in english, and couldn’t even _begin_ to guess what a few of the languages were - and if one of them caught her going through Carla’s readings, she could get in trouble. She might get bitten again. Or worse.

Her fingers traced the cover of the book on top of the pile. She’d seen this one here a few times, and the bookmark didn’t move much. She opened the book. This one was one of the ones she knew she didn’t have a prayer of reading - she had never seen symbols like this before in her life - but it _did_ have pictures, even if they were… incredibly stylized. Someone had underlined one section next to a drawing of… what looked like some kind of… plant. Maybe. It was green and looked like it might have had leaves. She was going to assume it was a plant.

The next book was written in a language that looked like it was from eastern Europe and had a picture of men in old-looking military uniforms on the front holding guns, but the cover was blue. It was different from the last book in cyrillic script she’d seen on the coffee table. There was another passage highlighted. Carla was researching something, but she had no idea what, and these dense books written in languages she didn’t understand weren’t helping at all.

With a sigh of frustration, Jeannette picked up the last book in the pile. She knew what it was, and had seen it here a few times before. Grimm’s Fairy Tales, written in… its actual original german. The story he’d marked was one she’d never heard of, and there was an illustration of an ugly old woman tending to a fire printed next to it. Was this… _Hansel and Gretel_? It didn’t look like it; the whole story barely took up a single page.

“You like fairy tales?” a voice asked from behind her.

Jeannette gasped and almost dropped the book. He’d approached her without making a sound, just like he’d done her first night here in the garden. She swallowed, wetting her tongue, and forced herself to look at him. He was leaning over her, slightly, with a hand on the back of her armchair, close enough to see that she was looking through _his_ books where _he’d_ left off, but he didn’t look… angry. She smiled and nodded, grateful he’d caught her reading fairy tales and not anything of consequence, clutching the book with shaking hands.

“You cannot read german, however. Correct?” His voice was low and smooth, almost velvety, but his presence was still incredibly intimidating in a way that his nasty younger brother’s wasn’t. Jeannette set the book down on her lap and wiped her hands on her skirt.

“I can’t read it, but…” she stammered, fumbling for an excuse. “I do like the illustrations.”

“As do I.” He leaned forward even more, and his long hair slid over her shoulder. “That’s not a particularly attractive drawing, though, is it?”

He was right. The old woman was stout, and her face was wrinkled and covered in spots, and not even in a kindly, endearing way. “You’re right,” Jeannette said, lamely. “She looks… interesting, at least.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “Have you read this tale before?”

“I don’t think so,” she replied. “It’s not… it doesn’t look like _Hansel and Gretel_ , and I don’t know that many of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Not… the original ones. Are these the actual original stories?”

“They are.”

“That’s pretty neat, actually. I wish I could read them myself.”

“Mmhm.”

He was _very_ close, and this was beginning to get awkward. Jeannette shifted in the armchair, trying to put a little distance between herself and him, and pointed to the marked page. “What’s this story about?”

“That’s _Frau Trude_ ,” he said, and eyes flickered up from the book to lock with hers. She squirmed as he reached out to trace the picture’s lines with his fingers. “It’s about an obstinate girl with too much curiosity for her own good.”

Jeannette’s breath caught in her throat as Carla pried the book from her hands. “Despite her parents’ wishes, she goes to Frau Trude’s house in the woods, and sees things which she should not have seen.”

She swallowed. This probably wasn’t leading anywhere good - she wasn’t stupid enough to believe otherwise - but she did her best to play along anyway. “What happens to the girl?”

“Frau Trude turns her into a log and throws her in the fireplace.” Carla snapped the book shut inches from her nose, and the rush of displaced air made her flinch. “A fitting fate for her, don’t you agree?”

“It seems a bit extreme.” She hadn’t had the courage to breathe since he’d caught her gaze. “She was just… curious.”

“About the wrong things.” Carla _finally_ leaned back, taking the book with him. He set it on the table and took his seat across from her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Curiosity without discretion can be dangerous. Spending one’s days looking through someone else’s reading materials when their back is turned, for example.”

Her shoulders drooped. So, he _was_ aware of her snooping. “I’m sorry.”

“You should feel fortunate you cannot read the language of the _Makai_.”

“Or anything in romanian,” she said, frowning. “Or german, I guess.”

His eyes narrowed. “I am not here to hear about what you have learned, nor do I _care_ about that. It does not concern me.”

Jeannette squirmed in her armchair, stiffening. “But you don’t like that I’m here.”

“I don’t like that you are sneaking around.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. Carla looked frustrated, and that concerned her. If he was anything like his younger brother was when he got upset, she should try to change that. She licked her lips to wet them (they were chapped, and she wished she had her favorite gloss here, and her eyeliner, and mascara…) and adjusted in her seat. He’d just said he didn’t care about what she’d learned, hadn’t he? She could use that. She could _definitely_ use that.

“Umm… Car--Mister Tsukinami,” she began, shifting yet again as his unnervingly bright eyes locked with hers. “Can I ask why I’m here?”

“Leverage.”

She almost winced, but caught herself. It was both more than she’d expected and less than she’d hoped for. But it was something. “Leverage?” she repeated, quietly.

“You know what the word means, yes?”

She grimaced. _Rude_. Of course she knew what the _word_ meant, _that_ wasn’t what she was confused about. If they intended to use her as leverage, there had to be something they were hoping to accomplish, and she had no idea what that could be.

But she could take a guess as to why they had kidnapped _her_ specifically, and thinking about it made her stomach curl into itself. Everything that had been nagging at the back of her mind for weeks came to a head. The lack of communication since her program started. The bizarre letter she’d received a little over a month ago. The fact that Carla and his brother spoke Japanese. Though she didn’t know the specifics of, well, _anything_ , there was only one person she could reasonably assume she specifically could be leveraged against.

Jeannette opened her mouth and closed it again. Swallowed. Grimaced. Built up the courage.

“Does Sunny have anything to do with this?” she finally asked.

It was a stupid question to ask, definitely. She knew the answer already. She _knew_ what he would say. She just needed the confirmation that would confirm her fears, even if it would provide her no relief.

His answer still caught her off guard. Carla tilted his head to the side, ever-so-slightly, and his brow furrowed. “Sunny?”

Did he not know her? Had she been wrong? If so, what _else_ could she be here for? Carla was glaring at her, so she gathered her thoughts. It would be better not to say too much. “My… my friend,” she explained, weakly.

“Oh, the chatty little brat.” Carla shook his head exasperatedly, tossed his hair over one shoulder, and sighed as the now-familiar pit in her stomach opened up yet again. “Don’t look at me like that. I am several thousand years old. Do you think I remember every insignificant presence that stumbles its way into my life? Humans can be terribly conceited sometimes.”

“I didn’t mean to…” she began. “…offend you. You said… Sunny was insignificant to you… so you can’t be using me as leverage against her specifically…” Jeannette muttered to herself, trying to figure out what on earth was going on. Something clicked, and her eyes widened. “Then… is Sunny… is Sunny also stuck with v--well, is she in a situation similar to mine?”

“I suppose so, yes.”

“ _How_ similar? Is she okay?”

Carla actually _rolled his eyes_. “With those vampiric urchins? I doubt it, but considering your friend’s temperament, the fact that they haven’t snapped her neck yet is--”

She couldn’t listen to him anymore. She couldn’t do it. “Shin said that you and your brother are stronger than vampires,” she said, cutting him off. The look in his eyes frightened her, but she persisted nonetheless. “Why do you need _me_? I’m sorry, I’m sure you have your reasons, but--”

“You don’t need to--”

“Has she been stuck with vampires since she arrived in Japan? In _September_? Is she okay? Is she _going to_ be okay?”

“Listen here,” he snarled, cutting her off with a few sharp snaps of his fingers in front of her face. Jeannette’s eyes widened. “I don’t appreciate your interrupting me, _especially_ with pathetic drivel like this.”

“It isn’t _drivel_ \--!”

“Cease your whinging. It’s irritating.”

“It’s my _life_. My… my _friend’s life_ \--”

“And _both_ will be _significantly_ _shorter_ if you continue to run your mouth,” he growled, voice his voice harsh and cutting like shards of glass. “Have I made myself clear?”

“How can you say that? How can you threaten to _kill people_ so _casually_? We’re _human_ _beings_!” Jeannette said, slamming her fist down on the armrest of her chair.

It was silent save her breathing, which, following her outburst, was heavier than she would have liked. Her heart pounded in her chest. Carla didn’t even react - which was, in her opinion, somehow _worse_ than anger would have been - simply glaring at her as if she were a petulant child that had just thrown a temper tantrum. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms, and waited.

He let the silence stretch out for a few seconds more. “Do you know,” he finally began, in a perfectly controlled voice. “What you human beings are to us?”

Anxiety curled in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, she unclenched her right fist, fingers inching toward the umbrella resting against her leg at a pace that she hoped wouldn’t draw his attention. “It shouldn’t matter.”

“You are in _our_ world now, _girl_ , so I can _assure_ you that it does,” he replied, sneering.

“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m not a _child_ , I’m eighteen--”

“I will not get into the semantics of this nonsense.” Carla stood to tower over her. His backlit face was shrouded in shadow, but his golden, slitted eyes were unnaturally bright. “You are _prey_.”

He reached out, and Jeannette grabbed her umbrella and took a swing at his head. She didn’t even see his hand move, but her pathetic weapon collided with the palm of his hand and not his temple as she’d hoped it would. A growl rumbled in his throat as his fingers closed around its end. “Foolish.”

He tugged on the end of her umbrella, and before Jeannette could let go, she was up and out of the chair. And his arm was snaking around her back. And his torso was flush against hers. She stiffened. The umbrella bounced off of her leg in its descent, but it was the cold fingers digging through the fabric of her headscarf to brush against her neck that pulled her back to her senses.

Persuasion had never been one of her strong suits. Tariq, who had been captain of the debate team when he was still in high school, could argue circles around her. The nuances of those arguments had always frustrated her, and she didn’t need her parents to find another way to compare her to her older brother, so she’d joined the physics club instead. Objective, rational physics. Things as they should be.

She couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret as the only two words that she could force out while Carla exposed the skin of her neck were “no” and “don’t.”

Pain nettled her shoulder, and her world faded to black.

* * *

Her world was hazy. Jeannette sat up in bed and hissed as her forehead throbbed. She was back in the guest room, in her - no, _its_ \- bed, and everything was as pristine as it always was (which didn’t feel right, considering the circumstances under which she’d been brought here). She slid out of bed, blinked away the stars, and stumbled her way into the bathroom.

Once she’d gulped down a few mouthfuls of water from the sink, Jeannette steeled herself and looked in the mirror. Her reflection stared back, looking sallower than usual. She needed to get a pair of tweezers for her eyebrows. Slowly, she forced herself to lower her gaze.

It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. There were two little pin-pricks just above her collarbone, ringed by reddish-purple marks. The wounds had already scabbed over, and looked like they were a few days old, which was odd, because she definitely hadn’t been unconscious for that long. Or, at least, she didn’t _think_ she had been. Shin’s teeth marks were gone entirely. Weird. Well, at least she could find some small comfort in knowing that their bites didn’t leave ugly scars behind.

She was tired. When she left the bathroom, her bed was freshly-made and there was another hot meal on her desk, which only made her feel worse. Even if she never saw anyone here, she was being observed, and observed _constantly_. Jeannette suddenly felt like crying. She shook her head and swallowed down the bile. Food was still food, and she was hungry, she told herself. Jeannette grabbed the spoon (which looked like it might have been actual _gold_ ), started on her soup, and waited.

Carla had been upset about her going through her books, but not for the reason she originally would have guessed. He hadn’t asked her about what she’d read, and had even answered a few of her questions - if reluctantly - when she’d asked. Maybe he knew already. That didn’t matter.

The two brothers obviously didn’t see her as a threat either physically or intellectually. Carla seemed to think she was insignificant and maybe a bit obnoxious, and Shin had gleefully held his power over her last week (the sadistic jerk). But both of them had, so far, left her alone for the most part. And, if they saw her as insignificant, then well, she had a form of leverage of her own. Even if it couldn’t hold a candle to what they had on her.

If they saw her as insignificant, she could play dumb and collect information from right under their stupid, smug, upturned pointy noses.

Now, it was just a matter of how she wanted to approach this. She thought back to her conversation with Carla, trying to figure out why he had been upset with her in the first place. He knew she couldn’t read anything that he deemed important, but still didn’t like that she’d gone behind his back. Which was dumb. If he thought she was too stupid to figure anything out, why did he care if she was sneaking off to the library? It shouldn’t matter to him, but it did. It was frustrating for sure, but something she could work around.

Jeannette finished her soup and clutched her stupid golden spoon in her fist, waiting. She was sick of this place and its golden spoons and phantom housekeepers and snooty residents, and angry at this whole ridiculous situation itself, but she couldn’t let any of that get to her head. As annoying as Carla and Shin were, they were still super-vampires, and Sunny was in danger, so she had to keep calm and play by their rules and figure things out until she found a way to get them both the hell out of this mess. So she sat and listened and waited. And waited.

After her soup was long-gone and she’d had time to mull over each of the twelve possibilities in her head more than could ever be necessary, the clock down the hall struck four times. Jeannette opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, and slammed it shut behind her.

She couldn’t sneak around? That was fine! Perfectly _fine_!

Jeannette stomped her way down the hall, making sure to stay off the carpet so the bottoms of her shoes hit hardwood floors with each and every step she took. Which felt amazing and satisfying and incredibly cathartic. They’d kidnapped her while she was wearing her soft indoor flats, but she could work with them all the same. If they were _so concerned_ with what she did while she was _in captivity_ , she was _more_ than happy to keep them in the loop!

The library was empty. Big surprise. Jeannette trudged over to one of its many reading nooks, dragged a footrest across the room to the big purple armchair, and flopped down into it. The bookmarks had changed once again. She grabbed the first book off of the top of the pile and got to work.

She hadn’t even had time to figure out what language the book was written in before a gloved hand ripped it from her grasp. Jeannette glanced up to find herself nose-to-nose with Shin, who looked like he wanted to throw her across the room. His breath was hot against her face.

“What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing?” he snarled.

Oh, no, he was too close. And angry. Jeannette swallowed and fought to control her breathing. She was insignificant to them in their mind, and she had to work with that, so she did her best to look frightened. It wasn’t hard. “I’m reading,” she answered.

“At four o’clock in the fucking _afternoon_?” When he was angry, his eyes were needle-thin slits, she noted.

“O-oh,” she stammered. Running through situations in her head was one thing, but being this near to one of them in-person was completely different. _Especially_ with Shin looking as angry as he did. Her hands were clammy, and there was a tight feeling in her chest. “I didn’t know.”

“You’re deaf, then? You can’t hear the damned _clock_?”

“No, I don’t--” she started, before the words caught in her throat. His face was too close, and she could practically _feel_ the fury rolling off of him in waves. She’d wanted to come across as obedient, and maybe a bit stupid, since they already seemed to see her as a lesser presence in their home, but now that he was in front of her, and angry, and baring his fangs… she doubted she’d be able to navigate this conversation the way she’d intended to. “I d-didn’t know _which_ four o’clock it was.”

He ground his teeth together, and Jeannette swallowed her pride. It was probably best to steer him away from what she was doing here, with how… _feral_ he looked. “The sky never ch-changes here, and since I’m… you know… since I’m not _from_ here, I can’t really tell… the time?”

Shin’s shoulders relaxed, slightly, and she decided to put a cherry on top of her self-depreciation sundae. “I’m sure _you_ would know how to tell, but this is all so _new_ and… um… _overwhelming_ to me. I’m sorry.”

He backed off. “Well, of course it would be to _you_. Idiot.”

“W-well, I don’t want to be bothering you,” Jeannette lied. “Especially in the middle of the… erm… afternoon. Maybe you could teach me how to tell the difference between day and night, so it won’t happen again?”

“As if I’d waste my time teaching some pathetic human _that_ ,” Shin sneered. He rolled his eyes, and then turned the book over in his hand to look at its cover. “Why were you reading this?”

Jeannette stared at him. “I’m sorry?”

“I know you heard me,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Was he serious? Didn’t they not care about whether she found anything out or not? Why was he asking her this, then, if the answer was so obvious? She swallowed and tried to think of a response that wouldn’t make him any more angry than he… clearly already was. His glare didn’t make it easy.

“I was…” she stammered. “I was…”

Shin’s lip curled, and Jeannette realized something. Earlier, when Carla had reprimanded her, he’d obviously known she had been snooping, and had made it sound like he’d been aware of what she’d been doing for quite some time. His brother, on the other hand, looked like he was only just finding out about it _now_. Which meant that there was very little communication going on between the two of them.

And that lack of communication was another thing she could use to her advantage.

“I thought I might be able to find something helpful here,” she finally managed to choke out a few words. “Because… well… I don’t really know… _anything_ as of right now.” She forced herself to look up at Shin, who didn’t look too pleased with her answer, and winced. “But… it was stupid of me to come here. What language even _is_ that? I don’t recognize _any_ of those symbols.”

The way the rage left his face was almost enough for her to not feel the sting of humiliation at having put herself down like that, _again_. Almost. The nasty grin that replaced his contorted expression wasn’t helping her convince herself that she’d made the right decision in the least. “That’s alright, I wouldn’t expect a _human_ to be able to read _our_ language.”

It took everything she had not to reach out and wrap her hands around the collar of his stupid frilly shirt and _shake_ him. He was so infuriating, and she hated him! She hated him and his smug face so much! Jeannette chewed her cheek and stared down at her skirt, inwardly fuming, and bit her tongue.

Shin wasn’t even finished with her yet. He rifled through the book, grinning, and then dropped it on the table, where it landed with a dull _thunk_. “You know, there are tons of other books here. If you want, I’m sure I could find something with more _pictures_ for you.”

She could have _strangled_ him. “No, thank you.”

“You sure? Oh, look!” Shin exclaimed, beaming. He bent down and picked up the german copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. “Here’s something that might be easier for you.”

He pressed the book into her stomach roughly enough to knock the wind out of her, shoved her into the armchair, and left. She gasped for air and ground her teeth as the sound of his cackling echoed the whole way down the hall. What a _prick_.

Even if she wanted nothing more than to chase after him and throw her copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales at his head, the feeling she felt most strongly was relief. Terrible as he was, Shin was still terrifying above all else, and she was grateful her encounter with him had ended as painlessly as it had. She thought back to how angry he’d looked when he first snatched the book from her hands, and shivered. She’d been lucky.

Jeannette leaned forward, wincing as pain spiked in her stomach, and picked up the book Shin had dropped on the table. Smug as he had been, he was right. She couldn’t read a word of it. What had Carla called this language, something along the lines of the _Makai_? Whatever it was, she had no clue what anything in the book said. Frowning, she set the tome down and flopped back into the armchair.

The children’s book was still heavy in her lap. She sighed and picked it up. The bookmark on this one still hadn’t changed, and _Frau Trude_ was still hideous. Jeannette stared down at the page, tracing the words with her finger.

Something in her mind clicked.

She didn’t know any german at all, but with the illustration and repetitive words, she could more or less… _read_ this. Or at least figure out the gist of things. Jeannette’s head shot up, and she looked back and forth at the rows and rows of shelves, which seemed to stretch on forever. There were more books here than she could ever hope to read, but she didn’t _have_ to read all of them. Just the ones that she could.

Shin was _right_. She _should_ be starting with easier books. And, in a library this huge, there had to be _something_ simple enough for her to be able to read, or more or less figure out. A dictionary, perhaps. If nothing else, Carla wasn’t above saving shelf space for fairy tales. She could start simple and work her way up.

Jeannette opened the book in the language of the _Makai_ again, staring at the unfamiliar symbols. This was going to be tedious, certainly, and risky, absolutely, but she didn’t have much of a choice. If she couldn’t escape or beat them physically, she had to work around them in other ways, and this was what she could think of at the moment.

Jeannette had known since the age of seven, when she’d watched a David Attenborough documentary on the wonders of the universe, that she wanted to go to space someday and look down at the earth from two hundred and twenty miles above its surface, and had been planning on getting into Saint Andrews to accomplish that dream from her twelfth birthday. And she wasn’t about to let two snobbish super-vampires get between her and her life’s dream. Never in a million years.

No, she was going to learn their stupid demon language and get the hell out of here, and when she brought the police in to rescue Sunny, she was going to rub her knowledge all in Carla and Shin’s stupid smug faces.

Well, maybe. She didn’t know if the police were going to be much good against super-vampires. And, as she stared down at the symbols on the page, she realized with a pang of dismay that learning this language was going to be a lot harder than getting the gist of _Frau Trude_ had been. But she had to try. For her _and_ Sunny’s sakes.

Jeannette looked around the empty library, eyes wandering over the backs of thousands upon thousands of books. Then, she collected herself with a sigh, stood from the purple armchair, and got to work.

The anxiety that gnawed at the lining of her stomach only grew with every word she read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time since I've updated, and I'm sorry for that. I moved to a different state this fall and pretty much restarted my life with a new job, and have been working a lot. So I'm sorry for all the time this has taken. I'm going to try to be more consistent with updates, but it's honestly hard for me to balance my work and social life right now, so things are probably going to be slow. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. Your support means so much to me. I hope you are all doing well after all this time, and I hope to see you again in... a reasonable timeframe with the next chapter. Again, thank you.


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